


FanganRonpa: Awaiting Despair

by thatoneguy22



Series: FanganRonpa: Chronicles of Despair [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Fangan Ronpa, Fanganronpa, Multi, killing game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 50
Words: 222,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26958946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatoneguy22/pseuds/thatoneguy22
Summary: 16 students, part of the world-wide government program known as the Talented Youth Cultivation Program, find themselves locked in a place they can only assume is the program's affiliate, Sterling Heights Academy. As the bodies drop and the motives worsen, will any of them be able to survive the oncoming despair of these once illustrious halls?
Series: FanganRonpa: Chronicles of Despair [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1967314
Comments: 10
Kudos: 27





	1. Prologue: Good Morning Students~! - Part I

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of a four-part fangan series! Why four parts, you ask? Because I have too many characters, too many killing games, and I was merciful to only include four. If you like to see character art, updates, or have a place to talk about the fangan with me--I do have a blog I'm running for the series! It's also a rewrite of my original Fangan series, which I orphaned here if you want to read the bad writings of a high schooler.  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/danganronpa-chronicles-of-hope
> 
> Feedback and comments appreciated!

**Prologue: Good Morning, Students~! [START!]**

Sterling Heights Academy. A massive school located in New York City that would probably make someone think of esteemed colleges like Yale and Harvard at first glance that is for only the truly exceptional. Anyone who graduated was supposed to be set for life afterward, no matter which school they attended in the world.

The only way inside was to:

  1. Be 16 years of age or the appropriate grade level for that age.
  2. Have a talent assigned to you by the scouts for the Talented Youth Cultivation Program (TYCP).



The TYCP is set worldwide, allowing children across the globe to be recognized for the amazing skills and talents they possess. There are plenty of ways to be recognized for your immense skill sets, such as competitions, exemplary achievements, fame, or recorded proof, just as a few examples.

This system does have a bit of nobility with it for those assigned, but otherwise, someone with one of these talents isn’t really getting any kind of special treatment other than acceptance into one of the many global branches of the Sterling Heights Academy, where the main focus of the school itself is for helping talent blossom. Of course, entering this school is optional for those granted talents and you can enter it at any time for the three years it has, but most people with the proper status do end up entering as a student.

My name is Wayne Little. I am an official part of the American branch and the TYCP has dubbed me the Ultimate Fencer, due to the fact that I climbed the ranks of professional fencing at such a young age. Really, I probably don’t look like all that much. A person might not even be able to tell I was a fencer since I tend not to wear my fencing gear. I do have a gray jacket with a red and blue-gray shield design across the front. But spiky brown hair, blue eyes, blue jeans, an orange shirt, a necklace with a bronze trinket, and red sneakers aren’t as much of a clue.

I was already at the school by now, my luggage sent beforehand. Other than my fencing saber, of course, which I kept on hand in its case. I look at the building that towered over me. A huge wave of anxiety hit me, as I tried to remain confident. Did I really belong here? Was my fencing really that impressive that a place like this scouted me out? What were the other students like? What were their talents? Would we get along? What about—I’m getting ahead of myself. I gotta get a grip. Everything was going to be fine and I was going to make a lot of friends.

All I could really do was remind myself how lucky I was. Out of every single teenager that must have amazing talents, I was one of the ones selected by the program. That was something to keep in mind as I steeled my nerves with a few deep breaths. There was only one place to go now. In.

With a heavy breath out, I walk through the front gate and approached the door. My parents’ words echoing in my head. ‘This will be good for you.’ ‘It’s going to be great.’ I gave a soft smile. Their words filled me with a bit of relief as I grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open.

And as soon as I stepped inside, I fell. At least...I think I do. Because everything went completely black at that moment. I have no idea how long I was out, but I woke up with a puddle of saliva under my cheek.

I was sleeping at a desk in an unfamiliar room. My mind was groggy and confused. What...was happening? I let out a soft groan and sit up slowly, wiping my face off with my sleeve. I look around the classroom, wondering about a lot of things. Mainly why I was the only one here.

The classroom seemed pretty standard. A whiteboard, a smartboard, a steel cabinet, a teacher’s desk, and a bunch of students’ desks—one of which I was sitting on as I woke up. There was a door leading outside of it. The rightmost corner in front of me had a camera and a video speaker.

My mind felt foggy, like someone reached in and carved out a portion of me. I instinctively reach up and touch my head. Nothing seemed wrong and my head wasn’t in any pain, it was just blank.

I reach instinctively for my fencing saber, only to find myself grabbing blindly at thin air. I look around the desk I was seated at, but I couldn’t find it anywhere around me. Did I lose it somewhere when I came in here? But...why was I here in the first place? Where _was_ here?

I get to my feet and instantly stumble, forced to catch myself on the nearest desk. A groan escapes me as the world around me spins aimlessly. I had to steady myself and take several deep breaths before I found myself capable of getting back into my feet.

I slowly walk my way to the back of the classroom, where the door was located. The entire room was utterly devoid of life. Everything was clean and neatly placed. I glance over to the walls. No windows, just steel walls. Or...were those plate coverings? There was a clock above the doorway, telling me it was half-past 8. Was it morning or night? I couldn’t be sure. Just...what was all this?

I manage to get to the door, turning the handle and pulling it open with ease. Good to see I wasn’t locked in. I walk out into the hallway.

The hallway stretched out to my right. It seems like I was at the end of the hall, no exits of any kind to be found here. There were a few more doors lining the hallway, most likely other classrooms. I begin walking along the hall, my shoes echoing along with every step. Was this entire school totally empty?

One of the doors opens not long after I had passed it, catching my attention. Was it a teacher or some other faculty member? Maybe they could show me the way out or tell me where I am.

A girl walked out of the room, her purple heels clicking on the floor with every step. Despite carrying an air of maturity with her, she was clearly around my age—another high school student.

The girl was a little taller than me, but that might be because of her heels. She had long blonde hair that partially covered one of her pink eyes, the right one specifically. She wore a black turtleneck with a white jacket on top. Her shirt had a breast pocket that held a small notepad and a pen. She was also wearing a purple pencil skirt and black stockings to finish her overall professional look.

“Ah, hey there!” I turn on my heels and speed walk over to her. Her gaze shifts to me, pink eyes cold and shooting daggers upon noticing me.

“...I suppose you wouldn’t know why I was sleeping in an unfamiliar classroom?” she asks me. Her voice was just as cold as her eyes. It made me think of someone who always thinks they have something better to do than what they’re doing at any given moment.

I rub the back of my head sheepishly. “Sorry...I’m not anymore caught up with the situation than you are, apparently.”

She crosses her arms and sighs, finally looking away from me to look around the hallway. She pulls out her notepad. “Then you should fill me in on who you are and the last thing you remember.”

“Oh, right! My name’s Wayne. Wayne Little. The last thing I remember was...entering the front gate of Sterling Heights Academy.”

The girl was busy writing in her notepad as I spoke, but she paused as I mentioned that school. “...the one for talented children? So you have a talent then?”

“Oh, yeah! I’m the Ultimate Fencer. I...don’t have my saber with me for some reason, but—“

“We should start looking around. We need to find an exit or some sort of authority figure for answers.” She begins walking as she speaks, not even waiting for me to follow her.

“Hey, Wait!” I hurry to catch up with her brisk pace. “You haven’t told me your name yet!”

“Cassidy Wellings.”

“Well, it’s good to meet you, Cassidy!”

She doesn’t respond to me, instead focusing entirely on making it to the end of the hall. She had a constant intensity about her with whatever task she had in mind, it seems. Not to mention the ability to take charge of a situation. I’m glad I found her of all people in a place like this.

At the end of the hall were two double doors that opened with ease, allowing the two of us to enter a large main lobby. The roof was high above our heads and from here, we could see another pair of doors to our left and two hallways, one on the left at the end of the wall and one directly to across from us.

The lounge itself was warm, with a soft brown carpet that muffled our feet and oak walls with various landscaping paintings hung up for decoration. There were a few ornate sofas here with small tables by them. Potted plants also decorate the room. High above our heads, a chandelier lights up the room. The whole place had a sophisticated aura to it.

“Seems we have a few choices on our hands,” Cassidy says while I was taking in the room. “Two hallways and another pair of doors.”

“There’s a sign next to the doors,” I point out.

“So there is. It looks like we’ve found the cafeteria. It’s as good of a place as any to start. We might find some kitchen staff or faculty there.”

Cassidy once more takes the lead, walking ahead of me without even warning me. I manage to keep pace with her this time.

The cafeteria’s floor goes from carpet to a laminated stone floor, making it hard to walk into the room quietly. The cafeteria was filled with tables for students to sit and eat their meals, but many of them were folded up and pushed against either wall. There was only one table sitting out in the center of the room and a couple of smaller ones near it. The room itself had stone columns sprinkled around it, probably for some kind of decoration. In the back, there was a large serving window with a door next to it leading into, presumably, the kitchen.

But, and arguably the most notable, were the two people currently in the room when we entered.

Two boys, one short and looking incredibly young, while the other was both taller and older, were currently in the room. They sat at one of the small tables, talking to each other. But their attention has drifted to us as we entered the room.

The young boy was dressed professionally with a serious look on his face that seemed to age him on the spot. His auburn hair was nicely combed, but there was still some stray hair sticking up. A pair of thin, large rimmed glasses were perched on his button nose, bright green eyes just behind them. His brown loafers and clearly ironed red dress shirt, black tie, and tan khakis show how important his presentation must be to him.

On the other side of the spectrum was the much older boy here, his messier hair and eyes the same color as the younger. He wore plain clothes, his shirt, pants, boots, and smock all various shades of brown. However, as if to fight against the dullness, he was splattered in every color of paint or dried clay I could probably think of. Not just his outfit, he himself as well, given that some of his fingers were purple and he had bright yellow around his mouth. He also had a much brighter and happier look to him, making him seem younger than he clearly was.

“It seems there are more people here,” the younger of the two muses, eyeing Cassidy and I up and down as we approached them.

“Yeah, we woke up in some of the classrooms here from the looks of it,” I say. “Do you guys have any idea what’s going on?”

“Of course not,” the young one retorts before the older can get a word in. “Why would we? We found ourselves here much like you.”

“Now, now, Young Harry! I know you must be scared, but you mustn’t be so rude to every new face we see!” the older boy quickly pipes up, a reassuring smile plastered on his face.

“I’m not scared. And don’t call me Harry.”

Cassidy’s eyes flicker up from her notepad. “Every new face implies you’ve seen people other than us.”

“Ah, of course! We’ve seen other students come and go. Sadly, no faculty to speak of yet. But we have yet to give up hope!” the older says cheerfully.

No faculty? That’s a bit concerning. Where could they all be then? I didn’t want to give up yet, just like the older boy said.

Cassidy was writing some more and doesn’t look up as she speaks this time. “So then the last thing you remember would be..?”

“We were entering the gates of Sterling Heights Academy,” the younger says. “My memory is blank from there.”

“You guys are students of the academy as well?” I ask.

The older smiles brightly. “Aha, of course! I’m the esteemed Perseus Peters, titled the Ultimate Artist! But all my friends call me Perry.”

“Harold Peters,” the younger says. “I’m the Ultimate Child Prodigy. And don’t call me Harry, even if my brother continues to insist.”

“How old are you exactly?” I ask.

A disgusted scowl meets Harold’s features. “...I’m twelve. However, I was a second-year high schooler when I decided to enroll in this academy alongside my brother, so don’t begin to think I’m not capable due to my age.”

“I wasn’t about to do that,” I assure. Harold just gave me a skeptical look before turning away again.

“Well, if you’re out to look for the other people here, I believe someone is in the kitchen.” Harold waves a hand dismissively toward the kitchen entrance.

I smile and nod. “Alright, thank you, Harold!” I look to Cassidy to see if she was ready to go. She was finishing writing something down in her notepad.

When she closes it, she looks at me. “Well? Lead the way, then.”

I nod and head back into the kitchen. The floor there was a clean tile and most things in the room were made of sparkling stainless steel. There were two ovens with large stovetops next to each other and counters on either side. There was a massive industrial fridge in the room, probably full of food. Cabinets lined the top of the walls and most of the counter space, filled with various cooking utensils and dishware necessary for any meal imaginable. A walk-in freezer and pantry could be found to the right of the room, no doubt full of food. However, there wasn’t a single cook or lunch lady in the room. Instead, there was only a single boy.

He was currently rummaging through the fridge, maybe looking for something to eat. He was a thin pale type, his brown pants, vest with lighter brown squares as a pattern, and white dress shirt hugging his frame. He also had purple sneakers and purple hair that came to a point. His red eyes were scanning the contents of the fridge with mostly disinterest. He had a fairly intense look on his face right now.

“Are you a student at Sterling Heights Academy?” Cassidy speaks up from beside me, her notepad open and ready.

The boy yelps in surprise and jumps, slamming his head onto the top of the fridge with a loud bang. He groans and takes a few steps back, standing up straight more carefully to look back at the two of us. “D-Don’t scare me like that, dammit!”

Cassidy taps her pen impatiently on her notepad. “Just answer my questions, okay?”

The boy crosses his arms, glaring daggers at Cassidy. “Fuckin’ bitch...tsk...yeah, I’m a student at that school. Joshua Price, Ultimate...Cheater.”

“...is that the kinda talent you should just be telling people?” I ask. “I mean, if we know you’re a cheater, then wouldn’t we just know you’re always cheating?”

“No,” Joshua replies curtly. “I don’t always have to cheat...and besides, you’d never be able to tell if I was.”

That made some sense to me. If you were going to be awarded a talent like that, you’d have to be so good no one could tell. How’d a guy like this end up with a talent like that, though?

“Well, I’m Wayne Little and I’m the Ultimate Fencer!” After a moment of silence, I look over to Cassidy, who was writing once again. She glances up and notices me then looks back down.

“Cassidy Wellings.”

I continue to wait for a moment, but she doesn’t say anything else. Did she not have a talent? I’d figured she’d have said something by now if she did.

“If that’s all you two wanted, I’m a bit busy,” Joshua says, pulling me away from my thoughts.

“So you woke up here all alone, correct? No memory of how you got here?” Cassidy asks, sparing another glance at Josuha. “...and you haven’t seen anyone other than other students, yes?”

Joshua looked a little uncomfortable at the sudden subject of the conversation. “Well...yeah, I guess so...” He glances away, back to the fridge. Then back to Cassidy and I. “...look, I don’t have anything else to say so just...go somewhere else now.” He turns his back to us, not doing much besides waiting for us to leave.

“Let’s go explore some more then, Wayne,” Cassidy says. “We can go down one of those hallways and see what else there is.”

I nod in agreement. “Right, got it!”

Cassidy leaves the kitchen and cafeteria, returning to the lounge with me in tow. She goes left first, merely peering into the hallway for a moment. I stand behind her, not really sure what to say or do. I didn’t want to step on her toes here.

“...looks like these are bedrooms,” Cassidy says after a moment. “These doors have nameplates on them.” She begins walking forward, down the hall, scanning each door as she passes them. I follow behind her, doing the same. All of these doors looked the same and each one had a nameplate under a doorbell. There were eight doors on either side, leaving a total of 16 doors. Some of the names were familiar to me, too. Perseus, Harold, Joshua, Cassidy...Wayne. One of these was mine.

“These must have been set up in advance for us, then,” Cassidy muses as we reach the end of the hall.

“Who do you think did that?” I ask her.

Cassidy crosses her arms, looking down the hall again. She pulls out her notepad and begins walking again, writing as she does. She doesn’t answer me and I’m left following her, not really sure if I should say something or not.

We go across the lobby and enter the other unexplored hallway. It was long, like the hall containing the classrooms. But there were more rooms here, stretching down to the very end. I don’t think they were classrooms, though. So they must be some other facilities in the school. There had to be staff lingering in one of them, right?

“Have you been noticing them?” Cassidy says as we enter the hallway.

I look at her, a little taken aback by her suddenly speaking. “Huh? Noticing what?”

She glances up to a corner of the hall and I follow her gaze. It was another camera and screen.

“They’ve been in every room we’ve investigated. They seem to be operational,” she explains.

“So...that means someone is watching us?”

“It at least means we’re being recorded. But this place can’t be very abandoned to have the security system still running, whether it’s being watched or not.”

“So someone’s been here recently, you think?”

Cassidy goes silent again, peering down at her notepad. “...let’s keep exploring. If the security room isn’t on this floor, we can always check the others, assuming there are more.”

I nod softly. “Right, sounds like a plan, Cass.”

Cassidy stops in her tracks. I could see her knuckles turn white as she grips her pen tightly. “Do _not_ call me that. Ever. Are we clear?”

She sounded...serious. I think that was a threat. “Y...Yeah. Sorry, Cassidy.”

I watch as her body relaxes again and she turns right to enter the first room of the hallway, labeled as the library. I quickly follow her in.

The library was decently sized, the bookshelves stretching high above our heads and making a miniature maze between the shelves. There were large rolling ladders and small rolling stepstools positioned around several of the shelves for use. There was a front desk meant for checking out books, with its own computer and scanning system, but no librarian to speak of. There were other computers as well along the far left wall for students to use, about ten in total. In the center of the room was a peaceful alcove for people to relax in, featuring comfortable couches and chairs. There were some tables to sit at with chairs situated at them.

Two people were also in the room, both clearly teenagers like me. There was a girl sitting at one of the tables, surrounded by a fortress of manga and her nose buried deep into one. There was also a boy carefully poking around the books on the shelves, searching for something.

Cassidy and I make our way over to the boy, who seemed completely focused on the task at hand until I got his attention.

“Hey there,” I say.

The boy stops and looks at us. He looked like an intelligent type to me. A lithe frame under expensive clothes like a blue blazer with light blue accents and a white t-shirt with black designs, tan dress pants, nice black shoes, and thin, oval glasses perched on his nose that he adjusted every so often shielding his grey eyes. His black hair was mostly kept, with only a few stray strands poking up.

“Can I help you?” Despite his question, his tone didn’t sound like he was very keen on doing any helping at all.

“We’re just trying to get to know everyone and figure out what all is going on,” I explain. “Let’s try introducing ourselves! I’m Wayne Little, the Ultimate Fencer. This is Cassidy Wellings.”

The boy’s eyes flicker between myself and Cassidy as I introduce her, then back to me. He scoffs and pushes his glasses up again. “Introductions? Really? I suppose you’re not all that well-read.” Even with a simple topic, his tone was dripping with condescension already. “I’m Jeremiah Dawson, the Ultimate Author. You’d know that already if you read at all.”

“Ah, I’m sorry.” I felt Cassidy jab me in the side with her elbow as I apologized, making me wince. What was that for?

Jeremiah scoffs again and crosses his arms, his gaze returning to the shelves. “You’re not the only one. I can’t find a single copy of one of my books here. But I suppose my search isn’t quite finished yet.” He looks on to some of the other shelves and sighs.

“Your testimony is like the others, correct?” Cassidy asks, returning Jeremiah’s attention to us.

“Hm? Oh, you mean waking up in this place? Yes, I’ve heard it all already. That girl over there was blabbering about it nonstop. Finally got her to quiet down...” He waves a hand dismissively to the girl reading manga. “Don’t get her worked up again if you can. I’d rather not deal with the headache.”

“We’ll try our best, Jeremiah,” I assure him.

Jeremiah clicks his tongue and turns away from us to return to looking for his own books. His ego might be...just a _little_ big. But I’m sure he was a good guy, still. After all, if he was able to calm that girl down, he must be.

Speaking of which, she’s been glancing our way for a while now. Does she want us to talk to her? The moment she notices I’m looking at her, she looks away again and buries her face a little deeper into her manga. I don’t think she could read it like that.

I make my way over to her, standing at the other end of the table so I faced her, with Cassidy hovering behind me. “Hey there,” I say, “I don’t think we’ve met yet.”

The girl slowly peeks out from the top of her manga, looking up at the two of us. Her hair was a bright, bubblegum pink like her eyes and tied into two massive pigtails using bright blue bows. She wore a baggy sweater that was half red and half purple, with the other colors of the rainbow lined up in between. She also had on three different skirts of various colors and lengths, that being yellow, pink, and red from longest to shortest. She had on purple sneakers and two long socks that looked the same, but one was pink and one was purple with white frills at the end. Flower designs on the socks had the opposite colors. For as bright and flashy as she was, I’d expect her to be a little more extroverted.

She glances around as if looking for someone else we might be talking to. She doesn’t see anyone else and looks back at us. “Um...h-hey...” she murmurs softly. “...you said...your names were Wayne and Cassidy...right?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, could you hear us talking to Jeremiah?” I ask

The girl squeaks and drops her manga, putting her hands over her mouth instead. It muffles what she says next. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, really! I’ll forget everything you guys said, honest, please don’t be angry!”

“Nothing wrong with a little eavesdropping,” Cassidy speaks up. “It can be a useful skill in the right situations.”

“...R-Really..?” the girl asks softly. She slowly moves her hand away from her mouth and picks up her manga again. “Um...I’m Giffany...the Ultimate Visual Novelist. It’s...It’s nice to meet you...” She sticks out her hand for us to shake, but quickly retracts it and puts it in her lap instead.

“Oh, visual novels? My sister is getting really into those!” I say, hoping bringing that up is able to make Giffany feel a little more welcome.

Giffany blushes a bright red. “O-Oh! That, um...That’s nice. She’s probably played one of mine, I guess, um...” She fidgets a little bit and avoids looking at me.

“Ah...well, we’ll let you get back to your reading,” I say, catching the hint. She wants to be left alone. Maybe we got a bit overwhelming for her?

Giffany nods silently and lifts the manga back up to shield her face. I make my way to Cassidy, who was finishing up writing in her notebook. “Are we done here?” she asks me.

I nod. “Yeah, I think so. Seems like they don’t know more than anyone else.”

“I’m sensing a pattern.” Cassidy’s voice was frosted over in sarcasm. I guess it would make sense for everyone to only know so much.

“...have you noticed it yet?” she asks me as we make our way to the exit.

“Hm? What is it? Is it about the cameras again? I already saw where they were in this room.”

She shakes her head. “Are you naturally this unobservant? I’m talking about the windows.”

“Huh? What windows?”

“Exactly.”

I look around the room and finally notice it. There were plates of metal offsetting the room. The only reason I could even tell they must have been windows at one point was because of how out of place they seemed to be.

“It’s been like that in every room,” Cassidy explains. “...you might want to try to pay a bit more attention to what’s going on around us. This situation requires it.”

I nod softly and look back at her. “Uh...yeah. Right. Got it.”

She stares at me for a moment. I could feel a shiver shoot down my spine as her icy glare hits me. “I-I mean it, I’ll take this more seriously!”

Cassidy looks me up and down, nods, and leaves the library. I felt a breath escape me as she looked away again and I leave the room, too.


	2. Prologue: Good Morning Students~! - Part II

We make our way to the next room in the hall, located farther down and to the left. It was labeled as the gymnasium.

Stepping into the room, we find what could be considered a standard gymnasium set-up. The floor was made of polished wood and metal bleachers were pushed in on either side of the room. Basketball hoops hung high above head along with a scoreboard. All of these were operational from a control panel located near the door. There was a storage closet in the back that was filled with various sports equipment for whatever games the class might have to play.

There were a couple of girls in the room, both fairly athletic in their own ways. One was running around the edges of the room, not even stopping when Cassidy and I had entered. She was fairly athletic in build, her legs especially looking well toned. The girl’s orange hair was slicked all the way back, possibly from her running. She had bright orange eyes to match her bright expression. She wore a tank top with a half star design in the right part of the shirt. Her athletic shorts were a bright blue with darker blue trimming along the bottom. She wore ankle socks with red trimmings and expensive-looking red running shoes. She also had dark blue wristbands on either arm and a headband, all of them with a light blue star in the center.

The other girl was tall and very muscular, her baggy clothes being all that hid her powerful figure. Her dull and lightly worn tank top was a little too small on her, showing off a little bit of her stomach, and I could see the straps of a sports bra as well. The grey sweatpants and brown sandals she wore completed the rest of her lazy look. Her blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail, keeping it out of her face as she wailed on a football dummy with her worn, brick red boxing gloves. She had an intense look on her face, her green eyes narrowed on her target.

Cassidy looks to me expectantly. Seems I was going to take over on the introductions from here. Getting the girl that was running to notice us wasn’t too hard, I just had to wave to her once she was running toward the two of us again and she came to a screeching halt on the spot.

“Oh. hey, totally didn’t see ya there!” the girl says. “I was just, like, completely in the zone and when I get like that I tend to not see or notice anyone else around me ‘cause running just, like, does that to do you and all or at least it does it to me so I just completely tune out everything around me like this one time when I--”

“Stop,” Cassidy says, making the runner’s voice die in her throat. For someone who was just giving it her all in running, I’d expect the girl to be more winded but she didn’t even pause for a breath in that sentence.

The girl grins and rubs the back of her head. “Woah, sorry, sometimes my mouth runs faster than I do, at least that’s what my folks say all the time. So I guess you wanna know who I am and all the junk, huh? Well, wonder no longer and keep your ears open nice and wide so you hear ever last sylla--”

“ _Stop,_ ” Cassidy hisses. That time, it was a warning.

“Sorry, sorry! Alright, my name is Bet-Bet-Beeeeeeetty Fritz! No gerald included here! And I’m the Ultimate Track Star, if ya couldn’t tell by my scary speed demon running!”

I introduce myself and Cassidy to Betty. Her eyes seemed to sparkle with excitement.

“Woah, a swashbuckling swordsman! That’s so cool, bro! Have ya ever gotten to duel someone really dangerous, like on top of a building or maybe in the middle of a bustling city, having to avoid random bystanders and cars and stuff like that?” Betty gets into a fighting stance and starts waving her arm around as if she were swinging a sword at someone.

“Ah...no, just regular fencing competitions is all. I guess I don’t do anything quite that exciting.” Now I just felt a little lame compared to Betty’s expectations of me.

“Oh, dude, that’s still pretty cool! Competitions can be real nerve-wracking and all that, y’know, so it’s great when you can stomach it enough to get through it all in one piece and first place!” Betty flashes a big grin and a thumbs up. She’s got that right, competitions could be pretty scary.

Her attention turns to Cassidy now. “So, what do you do, Ms. Pencilpusher? You a reporter maybe? Oooor, I bet you’re a super secret agent trying to infiltrate Sterling Heights Academy! That’s it, ain’t it? Yeah, I have you pinned now! I won’t letcha get away with it, villain!”

Cassidy looks up from her notebook, not even saying anything as her cold glare is all it takes to make Betty shut her mouth. “...you wouldn’t happen to have any useful information, would you, Betty?”

Betty tells us the same story everyone else has...in more words, anyway. Seems like there wasn’t anything new to gather here, though.

“We’ll let you get back to your running then, alright, Betty?” I tell her.

She grins and salutes me. “Roger dodger!” And she didn’t need any more warning than that to get right back to it.

We make our way over to the girl treating the football tackle dummy as a punching bag. Sweat was glistening on her brow as she wailed on it with all her might. One last solid punch not only knocks it over, but sends it sliding along the floor.

She lets out a deep sigh and wipes her head off with the back of her glove before her eyes flicker over to us. A smirk crosses her face. “You two enjoy the gunshow over there?”

“Oh, well, uh...” I wasn’t really sure how to respond to that and not make it sound weird. “...we’re just trying to get to know everyone.”

The girl stops her flexing to actually focus in on us. “Oh yeah? Well, I shouldn’t be needin’ an introduction!” She didn’t seem very angry when she said that, so I think she was just trying to tease us a little.

“Well, I definitely feel like I know you from somewhere...” But I was having a bit of trouble placing it exactly.

She huffs. “Well...yeah, guess that’s good enough. But ya better not forget me after this, you hear me?!” She definitely seemed mad this time, so I nod instinctively.

“Alright! I’m Nancy Clark, the Ultimate Boxer! But everyone just calls me Nosebleed Nancy!”

That’s where I knew her from! She was such an up and coming professional boxer and I’ve seen some of her matches before. Most of her matches tend to end with her opponent walking off with a bleeding nose, which is why she has the name she’s most famous for.

I introduce Cassidy and myself and get the same story out of Nancy that we got out of everyone else.

Nancy lets out a deep breath and puts both of her hands on her hips, looking off to the side. “This whole thing is pretty weird, y’know? Like...bein’ here and all. But I’m not great with all the planning stuff, so I figured I’d just come here and blow off some steam with one of these dummies. My best thinking comes when I’m punching something!”

I couldn’t say I was surprised by that sentiment, but I do think it was a little worrying. Nancy doesn’t seem like the kind of person you just air your complaints to, though. “Well, you get any thinking done yet?”

“Yeah, I did,” she says. She punches her own palm, looking intense. “I’m gonna beat the snot out of whoever put me here when I get my mitts on them!”

Cassidy looks up from her notepad. “I’m sure we’ll call on you when we get that chance then,” she says sarcastically.

“Hey, thanks! Glad to have you lookin’ out for me!” Nancy says, smiling wide.

“Ah...Nancy, I don’t think she was--” I stop myself. I probably shouldn’t explain to her that was sarcasm for Cassidy’s sake. “...we’ll let you know if we find out anything else, okay?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Nancy says with a nod. “Y’know where to find me if you do!”

It looked like that was it for the room, but as I turned to leave, Cassidy grabbed onto my arm. “Let’s investigate the equipment room,” she tells me.

“Huh? Oh, alright, sure.” I don’t know what we’d see in there besides sports equipment, but if she thought it was worth checking out, I didn’t want to stop her.

The two of us walk over to the door placed in the very back of the room. It was a double sliding door, so either side could be pulled open. I grab the left door and open it with ease, only to immediately find a tall figure and a clutter of equipment come falling out. I only barely managed to sidestep the whole thing.

On the ground, wrapped up in a volleyball net and some hockey sticks with various balls bouncing and rolling away, was a tall and pale boy. His hair was a messy, unkempt black and looked like no comb has ever been able to tame it despite it being barely neck length. His eyes were a dark brown and had dark bags under them, like he was ill or maybe didn’t sleep well. He was dressed in a large black hoodie with an emblem of a green four-leaf clover on his left breast. He also wore dark blue jeans and a pair of black sneakers. He was covered in scars and bandages. There was a scar going over his right eye, like something slashed him, and another on the back of his right hand that looked like a burn scar. His left cheek had a bandage on it and the pointer finger of his left hand had a bandaid on it. I’m sure he had more bruises to account for after his fall.

“Hey, are you okay?!” I demand in a panic, immediately trying to get him back up onto his feet and unwrapped from the net he was tied in.

“Unnngh...” He let out a low groan, looking a bit dazed right now. Once I got the net off his arms, they immediately went to his head. He probably hit it on the way down. “...I...think I’m fine. I just woke up in there and...I guess I got wrapped up in that net in my sleep.”

The boy finished rubbing his head and looks down at me. He was way taller than anyone I’ve seen...ever, honestly, but he was also thin as a rail. “I didn’t hit either of you, did I?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so. Just made a bit of a mess. You said you woke up in there?”

He nods. “Uh...yeah, I did. Before I could really figure out what was going on, you opened that door and I came tumbling out...I guess I should introduce myself, huh? I’m Rick Dallas, the uh...Ultimate Luckster.”

“The Ultimate...huh?”

Rick looks away and starts to fiddle with the strings on his hoodie. “Oh...right, I guess not everyone knows. The TYCP picks out one random kindergarten student every year to accept into the program with a lottery system. It’s...a worldwide lottery, I think. Or maybe regional...I-I don’t know the specifics. I just know that’s what I am. My life is...kind of ruled by luck.”

Rick didn’t sound very happy talking about the whole thing. His tone was drab and he kept fidgeting nervously, refusing to make any eye contact. What was he so upset about? That sounds like the kind of thing you’d brag about! Getting to enter the TCYP on a complete whim is probably every kid’s dream!

“Well...I think that’s pretty great, Rick! Not everyone can say they get into the TCYP like that. I bet being lucky is pretty good.”

“Not...Not lucky,” Rick corrects. “It’s all luck...good luck and bad luck. My life is just...complete chance. I mean, I woke up in an unfamiliar school, surrounded by strangers, and the first impression I make is falling on my face and making a mess...not very lucky of me...”

Ah, so that’s what it was. I hope Rick wasn’t always this pessimistic, it probably doesn’t leave him with the best world view. “How about we clean this up together? And we’ll just keep the whole thing between each other.”

“...okay...”

Rick and I clean up the mess. Cassidy just stood by, writing like she always seemed to be. I can’t say I wasn’t curious to see everything she had recorded, but I doubt she’d ever let me. I introduce the two of us to Rick while we cleaned and we didn’t learn anything new from him.

Rick shuts the door to the equipment room and lets out a sigh. “So...there’s a whole bunch of us here, huh?”

“At least ten of us as of now,” Cassidy says. “There may be more, though. Class sizes fluctuate, so there could be any number of students wandering around the facility right now.”

“You think an entire class is here?” I ask her.

“Everyone has the same story as of right now. They arrived at Sterling Heights Academy for the first time, entered the front gates, and then passed out. That implies all of us are part of the freshman class as far as anyone is aware.”

As far as anyone is aware..? What other conclusion could be made? Oh, wait, she just said all of us! That means her, too, right? So she must be a student here! But then, why hasn’t she told us her talent?

“We’re going to keep looking around,” I tell Rick. “You going to be alright on your own?”“Yes, he is,” Cassidy says before he could respond. She was already beginning to walk away.

Rick just offers a meek nod and pulls his hood up. I mumble an apology to him and hurry after Cassidy. She had a surprisingly brisk pace.

I try to say something about letting Rick follow along with us, but Cassidy was keeping herself just ahead of me. She probably knew what I wanted to talk about and this was her way of just ignoring it.

We enter the hall again and make out way farther down. In the middle of the hall, on the right, was a wide double door that led into what was labeled as a storage room. It probably just had stuff like extra desks and textbooks, but Cassidy walked in anyway, so I made sure to follow.

The storage room was...surprisingly big. Easily as large as any of the other rooms, it had tall metal shelves filling most spaces. There was an array of things that could be found here from the look of it. Various school supplies like notebooks, pens and pencils, printing paper, and erasers as some. There were also classroom supplies like globes, dry erase markers and erasers, highlighters, decorative posters, nameplates with adjustable letters, calendars, and calculators. Then there were just other miscellaneous things here. Candy, toys, gym uniforms, school uniforms, cleaning supplies, and...I wasn’t even sure what else was here, that’s just what I could see from the front of the room. They must store just about everything they can’t fit in another room here. It was all fairly intimidating.

I could see a couple girls near the front and hear the rummaging of a third person somewhere deeper in the room. Cassidy had her notepad out already, so I guess it was time for more introductions.

I head over to the first girl, who seemed interested in the various school-related toys. They probably belonged to some kind of school store. The girl had a soft and delicate complexion that I would compare to porcelain. Her hair was a jet black and tied into a ponytail that rested on her shoulder and she wore a bright yellow sundress to contrast that. I could see baggy brown pants and dirty white sneakers as well. A purple swaddle was draped over her and she had a fuzzy pink bag slung over her shoulder that looked to be full of something.

“Hey there, do you have a minute?” I ask her.

Her bright blue eyes turn away from the toys to look at me and Cassidy, who was lingering in the background. She smiles warmly and turns her entire body to address me. “Of course, glad to see this place isn’t a complete ghost town! I was worried I’d just be the few of us.”

“There’s a ton of people around,” I assure her. “We’re just trying to meet up with everyone and see if they have anything important to share with us.”

“Ah, of course. This situation is...certainly strange.” She purses her lips and for a moment. I see worry flash across her features. It quickly goes away as she puts a smile on her face again. “Well! I’m Jessica Watanabe and I’m the official Ultimate Babysitter. But you’re free to just call me Jess! I can put a smile on any kid’s face with my bag of goodies here.” She pats the satchel she had with her.

I do the usual introductions and get the same information I usually got. This was starting to feel repetitive.

“Sorry I can’t be any more help,” Jess says, her smile a little more sad now. “That’s really all I know.”

“Same with everyone else,” I assure her. “Don’t worry about it.”

Her smile flickers once again and she puts a hand to her chin. “You two wouldn’t happen to have any clues as to what we’re doing here? Or maybe who did this?”

I look over to Cassidy. She catches my eye for a moment before returning to her writing. I turn back to Jess and sigh softly. “No leads yet, but we’re hoping to get something if we just keep talking to everyone.”

Jess nods. “Alright, then. I wish you both luck!”

I head over to the other girl, who was also facing away from us and focused on some basic art supplies found on a shelf.

“Hey, there!” I greet. But...the girl doesn’t turn around to face me. Not even a glance. “Uh...hello?”

I look to Cassidy and shrug. Jess looks toward us again. “Oh! She’s deaf, you’ll have to touch her to get her attention.”

“Ah!” I look back to the girl and gently tap her shoulder. She looks over her shoulder at me and she quickly turns to face me entirely, a sketchpad under her arm. The girl had auburn hair that she kept tied back into a large ponytail with a pink scrunchie and had bright pink eyes. She wore a blue jean jacket decorated in pink circles that was mostly zipped up, but we could still see some of her bright green shirt. Her pants were a bright yellow and her high-top sneakers pink with white trimming.

Her hands begin moving around. I could recognize it as sign language, but...I wasn’t really proficient in it. “I...don’t know what any of that means,” I say.

The girl pauses for a second. Then, she quickly begins to scribble something down onto a fresh page of her sketchpad. After a moment of writing, she turns it toward me. ‘ _Hi, sorry if you were trying to get my attention before. I can’t hear, but I can read lips if you don’t know ASL!’_

Looks like she can read lips, so that was helpful. “It’s alright, I didn’t realize you couldn’t hear me until Jess said something.”

Sasha nods and starts flipping past previous pages, letting me catch glimpses of doodles and the remnants of old conversations before she stops at a certain page and shows it to me. ‘ _I’m Sasha Davis, the Ultimate Online Artist. It’s great to meet you!_ ’

I manage to introduce Cassidy and I. We get the same information we got from everyone else out of Sasha.

‘ _This while place is pretty weird_ ,’ she had written. ‘ _I mean, I don’t even remember how I got here. Just that I was. And it sounds like no one else does, either..._ ’

“Yeah, we’re not sure what’s going on, either. We’re really hoping we can figure it out. There’s gotta be someone here that has an answer of some kind, after all.”

‘ _I hope there is, too,_ ’ she writes. ‘ _I have a bad feeling about this place..._ ’ She had doodled a scary face down onto the page along with her sentiment.

I kind of agreed with her, but I didn’t want to send anyone into a panic. That’s the last thing we need to be doing right now. “I’m sure it’ll all be okay, Sasha. Cassidy and I are on the case, we’ll make sure we get out of here!”

I could feel Cassidy’s eyes on me when I said that, but I kept up my smile for Sasha, who offered one in return.

‘ _Alright then, Detective Wayne. I’ll leave it up to you guys._ ’ She turns back to keep going through the supplies. Cassidy walks over to me, looking ready to say something, when we heard a noise from farther back in the room that drew our attention.

“Is someone else here?” Cassidy asks Jess.

The babysitter shrugs. “I’m not sure, there could be.”

Cassidy didn’t seem very quelled with that answer, so she begins walking further back into the storage room. “Hey, Cassidy, be careful!” I warn, quickly following after her.

The two of us find a boy in the back of the storage room, going through rolls of fabric with mild interest. However, when he looked over at us, I could see that interest dry up on the spot.

“Uh, hey there,” I say. “We’re--”

“I know who you are and what you’re doing,” the boy says in a gruff tone. He stares at me, clearly seeing the bewilderment on my face. “I could hear you two talking to the girls up front. Wayne Little, the Ultimate Fencer, and Cassidy Wellings, of an undetermined talent. You’re trying to figure out what everyone is doing here by interrogating them for answers. I don’t have anything else to add the others haven’t. So are we done here?”

It seems like this guy didn’t really want to talk to us for that long...or at all, really. He was kind of tall, at least taller than Cassidy and I by a few inches. He wore a green t-shirt with a design that seemed to resemble a sewn string. A white long sleeve shirt was under it with black dots along the sleeves. Or maybe it was all one shirt. He also had some pins and needles stuck into his sleeves. He wore plain blue jeans and a pair of green sneakers with two white squares on them. His hair was messy and brown, while his bored eyes were a deep green. His freckled face seemed to rest naturally in a scowl.

“Well, we still don’t know who you are,” I say.

The guy sighs and shakes his head. “Patrick Morris. I’m the Ultimate Cosplayer. So, I’ll repeat: are we done here?”

Cosplayer? This guy didn’t really seem to have the...human skills for a talent like that. I’m sure he was great at making cosplay, but the way he treated us...

“Yes, we’re done,” Cassidy says curtly. “Let’s go, Wayne.” She closes her notepad and begins walking away. I follow behind her. It doesn’t seem like Patrick wants my company anyway. As soon as the two of us get back into the hall, Cassidy turns to face me. Her cold glare is back in full force.

“What the hell was that back there?” she asks me, a bit of anger dripping into her icy voice.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” I was a little taken aback by the suddenness of this.

“What you told Sasha. Are you really going to feed her nonsense like that? Given everything we know about the situation we’re in, the likelihood either of us can do anything is slim. Learning any new information may be slimmer.”

“I...I was just trying to keep her calm,” I explain. “She seemed scared, I didn’t want to tell her that there was nothing we could do.”

Cassidy sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. “Don’t go around doing that. If you feed a person too many white lies, you’ll eventually bog down the truth.”

I go to retort again, but Cassidy was already venturing further down the hall. Looks like she was ending the conversation there. But was what I told Sasha really that bad? I think Cassidy was reacting a little too hostile for that one.


	3. Prologue: Good Morning Students~! - Part III

I trail along after Cassidy—I realize I was doing that a lot right now—as she approaches the last door that was to our left. It was labeled as a nurse’s station.

Stepping into the room, we’re greeted with an incredibly sterile space that was also very hard to look at. The entire thing was decorated disgustingly pink with heart decals everywhere. The tiled floors and painted walls make the room seem even brighter than it should be with the buzzing fluorescent lights. There were pink cabinets along the back wall that had labeled doors, showing that they had things like bandages, antibiotics, rubbing alcohol, syringes, IV drip bags, and some other basic medical equipment. The room itself had a few lab coats hanging up with stethoscopes for each one, a scale for weighing and measuring, and devices to check blood pressure, eyes and ears, temperature, and reflexes all packaged in a large container on the left-most wall. There were three beds a person could lay in that were along the right-most wall, all frilly and pink with curtains that could be pulled shut. And there were also two people sitting on one of the beds.

A girl and a boy sat on the bed, their hands entwined with each other. The girl was muscular and taller, with darkly tanned skin speckled in even darker freckles. She had dark green eyes and bright orange hair with white flowers tied into it that went down to her shoulders. I noticed she had a green surgical mask hanging around her neck at the moment. Her clothes were fairly basic--a dark green t-shirt and blue jeans--but they were incredibly dirty. She also wore dark grey gardening gloves and a pair of bright yellow rain boots.

The boy was shorter and heavyset, with a much paler complexion, like he didn’t go outside as much. His messy brown hair partially covered his brown eyes. He seemed to have a shy expression on his face right now as he sat with the girl, but he was certainly happy. He wore a plain white t-shirt with a brown vest over it that had lighter brown stripes. He also had a heavy work belt, which had a few tools connected to it like a hammer and a screwdriver. His pants were brown as well and his work boots were dark brown and seemed pretty heavy.

It didn’t seem like the two of them had noticed us, so I decide to clear my throat. That got them to look over at us.

“Oh, we didn’t see you guys come in!” the girl says. “Sorry about that.”

“Y-Yeah, sorry...” the boy says, straightening up a bit with a warm blush crossing his cheeks.

“It’s alright, I hope we’re not bothering either of you,” I tell them.

“Nope, we’re just waiting for someone to come by. We figured there had to be a nurse around here or something, so we’re hoping they’ll show up soon,” the girl explains.

“Hey, not a bad plan,” I tell them with a smile.

The girl smiles back and nods. “Right! By the way, I’m Rita O'Connor and I’m the Ultimate Gardener! This is my boyfriend, Tyler Oak. He’s the _esteemed_ Ultimate Carpenter.”

“I-I wouldn’t say esteemed...” Tyler murmurs. He looks away from Cassidy and I.

“Oh, the two of you are a couple?” I ask. I probably could have guessed that before, but I didn’t want to seem rude about it or anything.

“Yep, about one year now!” Rita chirps happily.

Tyler just nods along, a dumb smile on his face.

I smile and introduce Cassidy and myself. We get the usual information out of both of them.

“So, you two just want to keep waiting in here for someone to show up?” I ask them.

“I think so. What do you think, Tyler?” She looks to her boyfriend, who offers a meek nod in return. She looks back to us and smiles. “Yeah, we’ll chill here. Good luck with everything, you two.”

I nod and look to Cassidy, only to see her already leaving the room. She’s never one to wait a second, huh? I wave goodbye to Rita and Tyler and follow after Cassidy.

There were two more doors to look through, the next one being the last on the right. It was labeled as a stairwell.

“Are we going to have to go explore more floors?” I ask. “That could take us a while...”

“We’ll find out when we get in there,” Cassidy retorts. She steps through the door and I sigh. Was she still mad at me? She definitely wasn’t the type that would want to talk about it, so I just followed her in.

The stairwell was fairly large and had an elevator located on the right wall. It doesn’t look like there were any stairs going down, but there was some going up. The only problem is they were being blocked off by a large metal grate. It doesn’t look like there was any way to open it, so we definitely aren’t going to be exploring any other floors.

There was also a girl here, kicking the grate angrily as if that would somehow open it. She probably already tried opening it the standard way and got frustrated.

“You okay?” I ask her. She turns to face me and I pause. “...Francesca?”

Francesca was a taller woman, but that might be because of the two-inch heels on her knee-high red boots. She also wore a red dress with a design of fire on it that left little to the imagination for her curvy body shape. A light red feather boa was thrown over her shoulders. Her eyes and hair that went past were shoulders were also red, as was the lipstick, blush, and eyeshadow she wore. Francesca wore nothing but the color red in every way she could.

“Oh, a fan? Well, I usually only give out autographs on special occasions buuuut...I guess I could do one right now. Wanna hand me your girlfriend’s notebook there and I can jot it down?” Francesca asks, lazily adjusting her hair.

“What? No, I don’t want your au--h-hey, wait, Cassidy’s not my girlfriend!” I felt a hot blush begin to cross my face.

Francesca lets out a scoff and smirks. “Not with _that_ attitude. Anyway, what do you want if not an autograph?”

“Sorry, I was just a little surprised. We used to go to school together, back in grade school. Before you moved to California,” I tell her.

Francesca looks me up and down. “Oh yeah, you were...” She pauses and purses her lips. “...Frank.”

“...uh. Wayne,” I say. I guess I didn’t really expect her to remember me all that well. I wouldn’t say we were the best of friends back then, but we did know each other.

“Right, right, Wayne. I was close.” Francesca looks away, back to the metal grate. “You were that kid with the sword, right? I remember that day you and that other kid got in a sword fight on top of the table and you fell off. Broke your arm, I think.”

Of course, when she does remember me, it’s for that. And I had thought I had already moved past that whole thing. “...yeah...that’s me...I’m here as the Ultimate Fencer now. What about you?”

Francesca frowns and looks at me, crossing her arms and shifting her weight. She didn’t look happy. “What do _you_ think? Obviously, Francesca Grande would be nothing less than the Ultimate Actress!”

I don’t remember her having the biggest interest in acting as a kid. I think she took the lead role in a school play or something, but that was it. But I guess when you move to a place like Cali, acting just kind of becomes your thing. I have heard her name floating around online, but I guess I didn’t focus on that stuff enough.

“Now! Are you going to help me with this grate or not, huh?” Francesca demands.

“No, we’re not,” Cassidy says before I could respond. “We have things to do still. Let’s go, Wayne.”

I get the feeling Cassidy just didn’t want to be around Francesca anymore. She was already leaving the stairwell and I follow behind her.

“Damn, whipped already!” Francesca calls out after me. “Have fun with your girlfriend!”

Not that again. “She’s not my—!” Cassidy tugs on my arm and pulls me out of the room before I could finish my retort.

I grumble softly and adjust my coat a little, a soft blush still on my face. Cassidy seemed far less bothered by the whole thing, her mind already back to the job at hand.

“There’s only one room left,” she says. “Most likely where the exit is.”

“Well, lets hurry up so we can try to get out of here!” I declare.

“Wayne, I don’t think—“

I hurry ahead, not listening to what she was about to say now that I was getting pumped. The last doors of the hall were directly ahead of us and labeled as the entrance hall.

The entrance hall had no people in it, unlike many of the other rooms we went into. The floor was well polished and made of marble. To the left side of the room was a large case that was filled with all kinds of trophies won by the various students that attended here. The right side of the wall had a large bulletin board covered in notices and advertisements for school events. Directly in front of us was the large pair of doors, most likely the exit. But they were reinforced with steel plates and covered in more locks than I could ever hope to open. They ranged from simple key locks to number pads to advanced scanners of some kind.

“Wh...What the..?” I say softly, frozen in place as I take in what I saw before me.

I heard Cassidy’s footsteps behind me, her heels clicking on the floor as she entered the room. “...that’s what I thought,” she says.

I look over at her. “You knew..?”

“I had my suspicions. A class of students locked in one facility and none of them have tried to leave? Most likely because they can’t.” Her eyes turn to the bulletin board and she makes her way over to it.

I was still in shock, staring at our one exit totally inaccessible. We were really trapped in here..? But...But who would do that..?

“...I suppose this would be Sterling Heights Academy then,” Cassidy says from her spot in the room, drawing my attention to her.

“Huh? What?” I ask her, walking over slowly. I’d rather talk about this then the door...

“All of these fliers and papers. They’re for events at the academy. There was also the paraphernalia in the storage room--the uniforms, school store items, merchandise--and all the students here are students of the school who last remember entering the academy,” she explains, glancing down at her notepad as she does.

“Wait, but...that still doesn’t make any sense. Who the hell could take over Sterling Heights Academy? There’s no way anyone could get away with something like that!” I demand.

“I don’t have those answers yet. Just calm down and...” Cassidy’s voice trails off as her eye catches something. “...Wayne, would you know what a killing game is?”

“...huh? Killing game..? What are you talking about?” I ask her. This was a completely sudden change in topic. One that didn’t even make sense.

Cassidy plucks a flyer off of the board that was partially obscured by a welcome notice. It was a page torn out of a notebook and was messily drawn on like a little kid got their hands on it. It was a crude drawing of a raccoon or something in front of a school. There was a message written in crayon.

_Welcome to the amazing Sterling Heights Academy, everyone! For our newest freshman class, we have a super special event planned!_

_The Mutual School Life Killing Game will begin shortly! Please wait patiently for the announcement!_

“Is...Is this some kind of joke?” I ask.

“Oh...I see you found it...yaaaay...” a sleepy voice says from behind us. Was someone in the room?

Cassidy and I look over our shoulders, hoping to see the person speaking standing behind us. But no one was there. Instead, the announcement screen in the room was on, playing only static at the moment. But the voice must have come from there.

“Okay, okay...time for a full school announcement...” After a few seconds, he began to speak again. “...um...can all students please report to the entrance hall? _Yaaaaawwwwn..~_ There’s a super big announcement I gotta make...okay, see ya there...” And the screen shuts off.

It didn’t take very long for the others to show up into the room, some looking relieved, others confused, and some looking not so happy. Doing a quick headcount, I could see there are 16 of us here.

“Hark, Young Harold! Salvation is upon us yet!” Perry declares joyously.

Harold frowns, adjusting his large glasses. “Then why is that front door still locked?”

“Maybe we’re going to meet the guy that put us here,” Patrick suggests.

Betty was pacing around at the moment, walking along the edges of our group. “It’s just a super scary, super weird welcoming ceremony for all of us cause silly pranks like this are all the rage on the Internet still so that means we can all be _double_ famous cause we’ll be part of some super popular video online and we’ll have fans come knocking down our doors demanding to see us and--”

“I already have fans knocking down my door to see me,” Francesca interjects quickly. She pops open a compact mirror she had on her to adjust her hair in it, probably in preparation for whoever we were about to meet. “Look, I don’t care about the prank crap. As long as the cameras get my good side and the guy doing this is a hottie.”

“Come on, everyone, no need to get antsy!” Jess calls out with a smile. “I’m sure everything will be explained to us soon and we can get on with our day!”

“There’s no one else here, why were we even called here?” Joshua demands.

“...oh...right. I still need to come out,” the voice from the announcement says. But this time, it wasn’t from the speakers. It was coming from in front of us, toward the door.

We all look in the direction of the voice, only to see something had changed. There was now a stuffed animal sitting on the floor. It was a couple of feet tall at best, and cartoonishly-round with pointy ears. The left half of its body was black and the right half was white. It had a wide, sharp-toothed grin stretched across its face. There was a long, striped tail standing straight up behind it that seemed nearly as thick as its head. A small green leaf sat on its head. There were markings on its face that seemed to inverse the black and white of its body and its belly did, too. There were also the eyes. One was fine and kind of made it look sleepy, but the other...was a bright, jagged red. Seeing it shot a shiver down my spine for some reason. It just seemed to have a natural feeling of dread accompanied by it.

“...so, where did the stuffed animal come from?” Jeremiah asks.

“It’s cute...” Giffany says softly, her eyes sparkling. “It’s a little raccoon!”

“Wrong and wrong...” The voice pipes up. It was definitely coming from the toy. “I’m not a stuffed animal...and I’m not a raccoon, either!”

I take a few steps toward it. “Is there a speaker attached to this thing or something?” I reach out to grab it, only to have its paw smack my hand away. I let out a short scream of surprise and stumble back, falling onto my butt. “I-It moved..!”

Everyone watches as the stuffed animal lazily lifts himself up to his feet, raising a paw up to his mouth to stifle a wide yawn. “...yep...I moved. Do you know how exhausting it is to move around..?”

“There must be some impressive robotics inside of that toy to make it move around so fluidly,” Harold muses to himself.

“...huh? C’mon, I already said I’m no toy,” the thing says. “I’m _yaaaawwn~_...Headmaster Mononuki...the first tanuki headmaster. Ain’t that something..?”

“Ugh, that thing is not the cute boy I was hoping for,” Francesca groans.

“Does anything actually important go through your head or are you always like this?” Patrick asks her.

“H-Headmaster? Seriously, is this supposed to be some kind of joke?” Rita demands. “You can’t be our headmaster!”

“Heeeey...I take offense to that, y’know...” Mononuki says lazily. “I worked really hard to get here...it was exhausting... _yaawn_...”

“If you’re our headmaster, then perhaps you can explain this?” Cassidy asks, holding up the advert she had taken down from the board.

“Aw...you didn’t rip it, did you? I spent all day on it...” Mononuki looked a little upset, but only for a moment. “Oh well...but uh...I thought it was pretty clear.” He puts a paw to his chin and tilts his head. “So what’s the problem..?”

“I’ve never heard of a killing game. Care to explain what exactly that is?”

“Ooooh...what, you can’t figure it out..?”

“Um...w-wait,” Tyler says. “What...What are you talking about?”

“Yeah, I’d like some answers, too!” Nancy demands. “We’ve already been here for way too long and I’m getting sick of it!”

“Wait...so none of you have heard about the killing game..?” Mononuki asks us. “Aw man...I didn’t want have to explain it...”

“J-Just get on with it!” Rick demands.

“Well...a killing game is what it says on the tin! It’s a game where you kill...uh, each other in this case. Y’know, however you wanna do it, I don’t really care. I wonder what other kinds of killing games there are...”

...wait...what? Kill each other..? He...He can’t be serious, can he? I must have heard him wrong. Or maybe he spoke wrong. Or maybe this whole thing was just wrong! Some big mistake! Yeah, that’s it, it’s all a mistake! A prank gone too far!

There’s a deafening silence in the room. No one seems to have a proper reaction for what we were told. I was still trying to rationalize it myself.

“Hahaha!” Betty was the first to respond. “What a great prank, I think I almost fell for it! I don’t think anyone’s tried to play a trick this mean on me before but I guess there was that one time some girls tied my shoelaces together but I showed them cause I was able to run like that anyway with only a few bruises to show for it and now I can tell everyone I can run with my shoelaces tied together so really the joke was on them and--”

“Ugh, what a joke!” Francesca demands angrily. “And here I thought it was going to be something actually worth all this wasted time. Do you know how important my time is, rat face? It’s worth more than whatever it took to put your ass together! I expect proper compensation for all of this! In fact--”

“Th-This is a n-nightmare!” Giffany shrieks, pulling on her pigtails. “Why me, why me, why meeeee?! I don’t wanna be here anymore! Please send me home! Please! Someone just save me from this nightmare already! Please please please--”

“Just my luck...” Rick says weakly. “I just...can’t seem to ever catch a break here. One thing after another...and now I’m being told we’re going to have to kill each other. I-I’m gonna die here, aren’t I? Yeah...I-I am...I’m gonna---”

Voices were overlapping more and more as people tried to rationalize, deny, complain, or explain the situation presented to them. I was still standing in a stunned silence, but I could see the noise was wearing Cassidy thin.

“ _Quiet!_ ” Cassidy snaps suddenly, turning her piercing gaze to the others. Everyone suddenly falls silent again. I look back at everyone now.

I could see Sasha and Jeremiah having a conversation in the back, her hands moving sporadically as he tries to keep her up to pace on what’s going on. I could tell he was nervous, too, but he was trying to mask it. Rick was shrinking back into his hoodie. Giffany looked like she was starting to cry with Jess attempting to calm her down. Rita and Tyler were holding hands with a tight grip. Perry had a hand securely on Harold’s shoulder, keeping his younger brother as close as possible.

Everyone was scared. I was, too. Panic was boiling just under the silence of the room, everyone’s attempts to try and say something snuffed out by Cassidy. But eventually, someone else spoke up again.

“Enough of this stupid pussy shit!” Nancy bellows out from the back. She storms up to the front, shoving a few people out of her way. She grabs Mononuki by the scuff, rage burning in her eyes. “Give me one good reason I shouldn’t beat your ass into a felt pulp for pulling this kinda crap!”

Mononuki says nothing. Nancy opens her mouth in order to speak again. And all that came out was a scream.

No one had seen the harpoon gun appear from the floor, our eyes too focused on Nancy. No one had the chance to warn her as it had fired. The harpoon sliced her leg, making a long gash appear on the side of it. There were some shrieks from the crowd as they all moved to avoid the spear, no one calming down until we heard the heavy thunk of it hitting the door behind us. I stood by, petrified. My jacket now ripped as the spear only barely missed my arm.

Nancy fell to her hands and knees, dropping Mononuki onto the floor as she did. He rolls away from her and gets back to his feet like nothing happened. “...cause if you do...I won’t miss next time. Okay?”

Jess and I were the ones to run over to Nancy’s side. We help her back onto her feet, letting her lean on us. I could tell she was still pissed, but with her leg newly injured and still bleeding, she couldn’t do much about it.

“Now then, if everyone is ready to listen...I guess I gotta explain some stuff,” Mononuki says. “ _Yaaaawn_..~ Mm...So none of you are allowed to leave until you kill someone. It’s like...graduating. But in murder. So as long as you get away with it, that’s fine...”

“Is that all?” Patrick asks.

“...mmm...you guys can look up the rules for the rest of it, can’t you..?”

“Give us the answers we desire, foul demon!” Perry demands, holding a paintbrush out like it was a sword.

“You have ‘em...just look them up. Check your pockets or something...” Mononuki yawns again and rubs his eyes. “...I need a nap...” He starts waddling along. Despite how non-threatening he appeared in every way, we knew he was dangerous, so everyone moved as he walked past and simply left the room.

In our pockets..? I use my free arm to rummage around in the pocket of my jeans. At first, I thought I had grabbed my phone, but when I pulled the object out, I find that it’s instead a miniature tablet. When I turn it on, I see the Sterling Heights emblem flash across the screen. It was a school handbook.

There were a few tabs on it. One for basic student information, one with a map, and another laying out the rules. I decide to go through the rules.

  1. No harm is to come to the headmaster via the students.
  2. Curfew is at 10 pm and sleeping in non-designated areas is not allowed.
  3. Certain facilities will be locked during the curfew and will open again at 7 am.
  4. No mindless damage to school facilities.
  5. You cannot kill more than two students at a time.
  6. When a student has committed a murder, they will be considered blackened.
  7. When a murder has occurred, the class trial will initiate and students will have a small window of time dedicated to investigating.
  8. Blackened will graduate if they get away with murder, and all other students will be punished.
  9. If the blackened is discovered, they alone will be punished.
  10. The headmaster can add more rules at any time.



So...these were the rules of our new life. Kill or be killed...or spend the rest of our natural lives in this school. What other choices did we have? And what choice was everyone going to decide on? But...most importantly...

...which choice did I want to make..?

**Prologue: Good Morning, Students~! [END!]**

**16 students remain.**

****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be a bit of a break now between this and the start of chapter 1, but expect that to be my usual routine! Daily updates until a chapter ends, then a break period between them.


	4. Chapter 1: Hope Is Just Another Name for Despair - Daily Life Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The killing game begins, but it seems like things will be calm...for now.

**Chapter 1: Hope is Just Another Name for Despair [Daily Life - START!]**

With the tanuki gone from our sight, everyone was left wondering what they should be doing. I still wasn’t even sure myself, until Nancy’s groaning brought me back to reality.

“Ah, your leg!” I exclaim, remembering why I was propping her up in the first place. “How bad is it?”

“Hurts like a mother fucker, for starters...” Nancy grunts. She was trying to bite back the pain, but I can tell it must sting.

“We should get her to the infirmary!” Jess declares. “We can look at it better there.”

I nod in agreement and the two of us help Nancy hobble her way out of the entrance hall. Luckily, the infirmary wasn’t too far away, so we didn’t have to lug Nancy around too far. Even with Jess’s help, the boxer was incredibly heavy.

The two of us get Nancy seated on one of the frilly beds. I roll up Nancy’s pant leg carefully, trying not to hurt her. “...I don’t think it’s bad enough to need any stitches,” I say. “But...you should try to keep your weight off it anyway, at least until it heals.”

“Screw that!” Nancy demands. “I still have a bone to pick with that nasty fleabag! I can’t beat him up if I’m not able to even walk on two feet!”

“You are not beating him up!” Jess declares sternly while she gets some basic medical supplies out of the cabinets. “Look at what he did to you just for grabbing him! And don’t you remember the threat he made?”

“Tch...” Nancy looks away, an annoyed scowl on her face. “The rat’s a coward. Fighting with weapons instead’a your fists. Cheap move...”

“Uh...yeah...” I murmur softly. The room was feeling awfully stuffy now.

Jess returns with some disinfectant to dab into Nancy’s wound and some stuff to clean up and wrap up the wound. “If you’re not going to stay off your leg, at least don't do anything strenuous for a little while, okay?”

“Ugh, god, I get it!” Nancy crosses her arms and closes her eyes. She still looked mad, but I’m beginning to wonder if that’s just her natural resting face.

Jess pulls down on the pant leg once the wound was all patched up. “Hm...he tore up your clothes pretty good. Need me to patch that up, too?”

“You know how to sew..?” Nancy asks in return.

“Of course! Any babysitter worth her snuff can sew! There’s nothing worse than being helpless when a child’s prized toy ends up with a ripped stitch, or their favorite shirt gets a hole! You need to be ready for anything life throws at you!” Jess grins, brimming with determination. Then she looks at me. “You, too, Wayne! I see that rip in your jacket!”

I put my hand over it quickly. “Ah...it’s no big deal, Jess. I don’t want to make you do any work.”

“Nope, no buts mister!” Jess has already fished a needle and a spool of thread from her satchel. She works with surprising speed, patching up the rips in mine and Nancy’s clothes in no time flat.

Nancy gets back onto her feet, moving carefully as she puts weight on her leg again. She does her best not to wince. “Alright, so, we got a game plan yet?”

“Not...really,” I admit to her. “But we can definitely make one! We should get everyone gathered in the cafeteria.”

“I think that’s a great idea!” Jess says. “Nancy, you think you can walk alright on your own?”

Nancy scoffs and crosses her arms. “C’mon, I’m not some punk! I already feel great!”

The three of us head out of the infirmary to go round up all the others. With the three of us working together on it, we didn’t spend too long doing that.

We all met in the cafeteria. The sixteen of us could have easily fit at the one table set out for us, but some still lingered at the small standing tables anyway. Harold and Perry at one, and Joshua and Patrick at another with as much distance between themselves as they could make.

Cassidy was still writing in her notepad, but she was also the first of us to speak up. “We should be conducting a plan right now. I suggest we survey the school a second time over and take in the objects at our disposal as well as look for any weaknesses in the building’s defenses.”

Francesca scoffs, kicking back in her chair with her boots on the table. “That's gonna be a no from me. Do you know how important I am? Give it a week and when people don’t see me updating my social media, there’ll be a wave of people breaking down that door. Be glad you’re stuck here with me, I’m your ticket out.”

“Then we just need to bide our time, right?” Jeremiah asks. “Look at how many other celebrities fill the room before you. A group like us missing won’t go so easily unnoticed.”

“They’ve got a point!” Rita agreed. “We don’t need to worry about that jerk trying to scare us! As long as we stay calm and wait, help will find us!”

“H-How can you all be so sure and calm about this?!” Rick shouts from his seat. He had his hood up and was practically strangling the strings of his hoodie. “We’re all trapped in _Sterling Heights Academy_ , aren’t we?! That’s the most powerful school in the world! What kind of freak has the power to even do _that_?!”

“H-He’s right, maybe...maybe the cops are all dead!” Giffany shrieks, tugging on her pigtails. “Oh god, we’re all going to die here!”

If I let these two keep going, panic is just going to spread through the group. And if that happens then someone might...

“Guys, seriously, calm down,” I say. “We don’t know if this is Sterling Heights or not. No one’s going to kill, okay? We just need to wait and someone will save us like Francesca said. I bet we’ll be out of here in a few days, a week tops.”

I could feel Cassidy’s cold gaze shift to me again. It felt strikingly familiar, but I didn’t want to waiver in front of the others.

“Well...I guess it’s fine,” Nancy mumbles. “‘S not like we got anything else to do...”

“A-Are we really gonna get out of here...just like that..?” Giffany asks. “That’s...That’s so relieving!”

“I guess this won’t be too bad if it’s going to end like that...” Joshua murmurs.

I let out a soft sigh. Glad I could defuse that situation painlessly.

Cassidy snaps her notepad shut and stands up. “Fine...I’ll investigate on my own then.” She turns and walks briskly out of the room.

“Hey, I’ll come with!” I assure her, getting up to follow after her quickly.

Cassidy went out into the lobby. I follow behind her, trying to make some kind of conversation, but she seemed to be ignoring me for the most part. It wasn’t until we had gotten to the dorm hall that she finally spares a glance my way.

“Can’t you see I’m busy?” she says coldly.

“It’s not like we can’t talk and work at the same time,” I tell her.

She finally stops what she was doing and turns to face me. “ _We?_ I’m the only one doing any work here. The rest of you seem content in denial of the situation or crippling paranoia.”

“I was just trying to keep everyone calm. Nothing good's gonna happen if they’re panicking. But I wanna help out.”

“Well, now nothing is happening because they’re all convinced we’re going to be saved when we aren’t. Do you understand how many kidnappings don’t end with a happy ending where the victim is found? If you’re going to convince the others that we can just sit back and wait and this whole thing will end, I don’t want your help.”

“Look, would you want the killing game to start because everyone is going stir crazy? Maybe you’re right and I said the wrong things, but everyone is still calm right now.”

“And when they aren’t? What happens when a few days go past—a week, maybe more? If they don’t get past the reality of the situation now, it’ll come crashing down harder later. That’s when we’ll have blood on our hands.”

I don’t have a response to that.

Cassidy rests a hand on her hip. “Are we done here? I’d like to get back to work. _In peace_.”

“I guess...yeah...” My voice came out softer than I had planned. I felt...defeated? I don’t want to think that my goodwill is going to hurt the others, but what she says has some merit to it...

“Good.” She turns away from me and begins walking off, completely ignoring me again.

“Good luck...” I say to her. I don’t think she was listening to me. I let a sigh escape me as I move along, heading to my room. It’s the only place I haven’t checked yet.

The bedrooms seemed basic enough. There was a bed, a dresser (where I only find copies of my own clothes), a personal bathroom, and a mostly empty bookshelf. My room had some of my stuff on the bookshelf, however, like a few trophies and the like. My fencing saber was also sitting on it, out of its case and placed on a small display. It was sparkling clean at the moment. However, what seemed most striking to me is the way my things were set up. It’s how I’d have done it myself. The way I arranged my trophies from oldest to newest, the way my saber was polished and displayed, how all my clothes were folded...they’re all exactly how I’d do it. But...But I haven’t spent more than a day in this place. I haven’t even entered this room until now. So did someone do this for me..?

“Alright...that’s unsettling.” I grab my saber, carefully looking it over. I rarely let this thing leave my possession, but someone took it from me and put it here. Just...who did that? How long was I passed out in that classroom anyway? Setting up my room like this, presumably the other rooms, putting everyone in the right places...how long could all of that take? Not to mention Mononuki, the locks, taking over the school...agh, just what the hell is going on in this place?

I wasn’t sure what else to do with myself, so I ended up staying in my room for the day, poking around every corner for anything that might have been out of place.

The screens across the school all flicker to life after some time. “Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...I know I will.”

I guess...that’s going to be our nighttime announcement then. Fine, I’m totally exhausted anyway. Some sleep will probably do me good. I get ready for bed and crawl in, letting myself drift slowly off to sleep.

...

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

I grumble softly and stir, sitting up slowly in bed. I guess...what happened wasn’t just some awful nightmare then. That’s definitely a problem. Well, if I’m going to be awake anyway, I might as well go ahead and get ready. Maybe get some breakfast.

After getting myself ready for the day, I make my way out to go to the cafeteria. On my way out of the room, I ran into Francesca.

“Oh, Francesca, hey!” I say to her.

She looks at me. “Oh, hey there Waaaaaa....” She pauses. “...ylan.”

“Wayne.”

“That was my second guess. Anyway, you need something?”

I understand not remembering my name after grade school, but she could at least bother to remember it now. “Just wanted to come and say hello, is all. Guess I’m a little surprised to see you up so early. I’d figure it’d take longer for you to get ready for the day.”

“Well, of course, it does! That’s why I wake up at five on the dot every morning!”

“W-Woah, that early? Even seven is still pretty early for me.”

“What, you think I just wake up looking this amazing? Come on, Wayne, a face like this takes time and dedication to uphold! If I’m going to let you all bask in my beauty, I might as well be ready for it!”

Bask in her beauty, huh..? I feel like I’m basking in her ego instead...

“Well, uh...I hope everyone appreciates the work you put into it all. I’ll see you at the cafeteria, okay?”

“Of course you will.” With a hand on her hip, Francesca saunters her way down the hall. She’s definitely different from the girl I used to know. I guess fame can do that to you.

I enter the lobby after she had left. I notice Perry and Jess were both out here, fussing over a fairly annoyed Harold.

“It is bad enough I have to deal with Perseus and his nonsense, but could you please refrain from touching me, Jessica?” the young brainiac demands.

“Oh, come on, Harold. Just give me a second and I can get that strand of hair to stay down!” Jess assures him.

“And dear brother, you have always mentioned how important it is to look your best! Let our wondrous maiden aid you in this!” Perry says happily.

“I am _not_ a child. I can dress and present myself!” Harold demands. He smacks Jess’s hands away.

Jess puts both of her hands up. “Alright, alright, but if you ever need any help, I’m here.”

“I am here as well, young brother!” Perry reminds.

“And you, Perry.” Jess turns on her heels to address the taller man. “You’re a mess! You and your clothes, both! You should really go wash up before breakfast.”

“Gah!” Perry looks taken back by that. “I-I see...that the boot is now on the other foot...wondrous maiden, I assure you that my mess is who I am!”

“...Wayne, are you going to say something or just stand there gawking?” Harold asks.

All eyes turn to me at that. Crap, I didn’t mean to be eavesdropping. “A-Aha, Sorry, guys...”

Jess tuts and crosses her arms. “Wayne, your hair is even messier than Harold’s. You boys...” She shakes her head, but I could sense the playfulness in her tone.

“Messy, Huh?” I ask. “I think my hair’s fine. I like it this way.”

Harold was trying to sneak away now that the other two’s attention was on me, but Perry was quick to notice. “Young Harold! Where exactly are you off to?”

Harold freezes up. “...anywhere but here.” And then he briskly walks to the cafeteria. Perry chases after him.

Jess smiles softly seeing the two of them leave. “I hope Harold appreciates Perry. I’ve always wanted a sibling like that.”

“Having a sibling isn’t all sunshine and roses. I can’t tell you how many times my sister has spontaneously decided to have a swordfight with me,” I say. I can still feel the headache I had the time she struck me from behind.

“You have a sister?” Jess asks me. “Ha, I had no idea! And you’re even both into swords fighting. You’re lucky, Wayne.”

“Heh...I guess I am.” I never really thought about it that way, but without my sister, I doubt I’d be as into fencing as I was.

“Come on, let’s go get some breakfast. I’m sure the others are already there.” Jess heads into the cafeteria and I follow after her.

As she said, the others were already here. Or, well, most of them were. Betty was pacing around the table, snacking on a granola bar. Nancy and Joshua sat together, having some kind of...eating contest? Either that or they were both incredibly hungry. Sasha was doodling more than eating with Jeremiah slumped in the seat next to her, looking distant. Francesca had summoned Jess over to where she was sitting in order to talk to the babysitter about something. Rita was curled up next to Tyler, her eyes closed as she rested her head on his shoulder. Perry and Harold had gone to the kitchen to get their own food. I could see that Rick, Cassidy, Patrick, and Giffany were all absent from the area, though.

I go get my own breakfast and sit down to eat. By the time I had done that, I could see that Cassidy had entered the room.

“Has anyone done anything at all since yesterday?” she asks. It seems like she was getting right to business.

“I got some sleep,” Joshua replies. He had cleared his plate off already while Nancy still had some food on hers.

“You also cheated!” the boxer retorts. “I know a string bean like you couldn’t have won!”

“I’m hurt, Nancy. To insinuate I would cheat in such a friendly competition.” Joshua pouts, hands over his chest.

“...I watched you slide bacon and sausages down your sleeve,” Jeremiah replies blandly.

“You have no proof! I won’t sit here and be talked to like this...” Joshua stands up and some breakfast food falls out from his shirt, hitting the ground with a wet splat. “...oops!”

Cassidy pinches the bridge of her nose. “For the love of...”

“...hey, guys, maybe we should be taking this a bit more seriously,” I say.

“Weren’t you the one telling everyone that nothing bad was going to happen to us?” Jeremiah retorts.

“Well...yes, but that doesn’t mean we should be sitting around and not doing anything.”

“Uuuugh...” Francesca kicks her feet up on the table again. “Look, sorry Wally--”

“Wayne.”

“--but I don’t _do_ work. What are we even supposed to do? Not like we got anything better besides waiting for help to show up.”

I didn’t have any suggestions. My eyes flicker to Cassidy, but I could tell she was waiting for me to answer. I just wasn’t sure what to say. I could tell I had done my damage yesterday. No one has any worries, which meant they were calm, but...it was making them complacent. And if Cassidy was right and help doesn’t come any time soon...

“...just...maybe keep your eyes out for clues? We still don’t have any idea about the kind of things going on here, so it would be helpful if we just keep an eye out.”

“I think we can do that at least,” Rita says. “When the cops come, we can tell them more than just how we sat around and waited for them.”

“I wanna find out who the hell put us here so I can beat the crap outta them!” Nancy declares, hitting her fists together. “Coward’s hiding behind a stupid stuffed animal and it’s pissin’ me off!”

I glance back to Cassidy and she seemed more relaxed than before, her gaze drifting away from me. I guess I appeased her for now. Hopefully, everyone can just stay calm for now. I know we’re going to get out of here.

Jess came out from the kitchen and puts some food down in front of Francesca. “Alright, here you are! I know it’s probably not as extravagant as the kind of stuff you usually eat but I hope it’s good!”

“Looks alright to me,” the actress assures.

“Is Ms. Celebrity too high in the stars to cook for herself?” Joshua asks, some snark in his tone.

“Please, I know how to cook...I just don’t want to!” Francesca shoots back.

That...didn’t sound like a very convincing argument to me. I don’t think it did much to fool anyone else.

Jess walks over to me and gently taps my shoulder. “Hey, Wayne, I hate to bug you but you could go check on the others for me?”

I look up at her. “Hm? You mean the guys that didn’t show up?”

She nods. “Yeah, I’m a little worried about them. I know I probably shouldn’t be but...still.”

I get up from my chair. “Hey, no need to worry about it. I’ll go check on them all and see if they want to show up.”

Jess smiles and lets out a relieved sigh. “Thanks a ton, Wayne. I really owe you one.”

“Hey, don’t mention it. I’ll go make sure they’re okay.” I head out of the cafeteria and make my way back to the dorm rooms.

Rick’s room was the closest, located at the very end of the hall. I knock on the door. “Hey, Rick, you still in there?”

After a few moments and a loud crash, Rick opened the door. His room was dark behind him, making it difficult to see what his room looked like. “Oh, uh, hey, Wayne...you need something..?”

“You didn’t show up for breakfast, so Jess wanted me to come see if you were alright.”

His fingers drum nervously on his door. “I...Is breakfast mandatory..?”

“Well...no,” I admit. “She just wanted to make sure you were okay. You are okay, aren’t you? Thought I heard something crash...”

“Y-Yeah...yeah! No, yeah, I’m fine. I just...uh...” A see a tinge of red cross his face. “...I tripped...over my chair...”

“Ah...well, if you’re sure you’re alright then I’ll leave you before now. I’ll tell Jess everything is okay, alright?”

Rick nods softly. His gaze was kept on anything but me. “Yeah...thanks, man.” And then he shuts his door again.

I head to Patrick’s room next, noticing his room was to the right of mine as I knocked. He answered a little faster than Rick had.

“Need something?” Patrick asks bluntly. I could tell he was disinterested in speaking to me whatsoever.

“Jess just wanted me to check up on everyone that didn’t show up to breakfast, is all.”

He scoffs and crosses his arms. “Well, I’m fine. What, thought you’d open my door and find me dead?”

“What? No, I just--”

“Aren’t you the one going around telling everyone that everything is going to be fine?”

“Yeah, but I was--”

“So then don’t bug me about this again...” His eyes glance past me, but only for a moment. “...and for a word of notice, if I was found dead in my room, you’d be suspect number one. You and the boxer.” And he shuts the door in my face.

That was...weird. Why’d he even say that? I glance at the room on the other side of his. Nancy’s nameplate was there. I heard another door shut, drawing my attention to it, but no one was there. I guess someone went back into their room.

Giffany’s room was last, located near the end of the hall. I knock on it, but after some time, I find myself knocking again. “Hey, Giffany, you in there?”

Calling out seemed to get an answer because the door creaked open just a little. I saw a flash of pink. “Y...Yeah...”

“Hey, Giff. Jess was just wondering if everything was alright since you didn’t show up to breakfast.”

“E-Eek!” She lets out a little squeal. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry a-anyone! Big groups just make me really uncomfortable so I didn’t want to show up and act like a weirdo in front of everyone and I really wasn’t all that hungry anyway so I figured no one would even notice I was gone so it’s really nice that you and Jess noticed but I’m okay I should have shown up to breakfast but I just was so scared of being there so I didn’t but I should have so I’m really sorry!”

Giffany was left breathing deeply, clearly winded from that long speech. She was talking as fast as Betty does, but without the lung power to do it. “I-It’s alright, Giffany. You don’t have to show up for breakfast if you don’t want to. We just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“...oh...th-thank you...” I could hear the blush in her voice. There was an awkward silence lingering in the air before Giffany finally shut the door.

I make my way back to the cafeteria, only to find most of the others had cleared out of the area already. Jess was still there, though, eating her own breakfast finally. She looks at me when I entered the room again.

“Oh, Wayne, you’re back!” she says cheerily.

“Sure am. I checked on the others, they’re all fine. They just didn’t want to show up.”

“Hm...well, they should still be eating a good breakfast. I should go ahead and bring them something.” Jess sets her fork down and gets up. “Thanks again, Wayne. I’ll see you later!” She makes her way to the kitchen. I wanted to tell her the others would probably just eat soon anyway, but I didn’t want to bother her over it too much.

I head back to the lobby. With breakfast out of the way, it seems like there wasn’t much else to do at the moment. I wanted to keep an eye out for clues as Cassidy suggested, but I still have some free time for now.

[FREE TIME - START!]

Sasha was still in the cafeteria, doodling. She seemed off in her own little world. I didn’t want to distract her, but she seemed easy to open up to. I sat next to her.  
  
Sasha was currently drawing a comic strip of herself. I tap her shoulder and she looks at me. Then she smiles and flips to a new page. ‘ _Yes?_ ’ she writes down.   
  
“Oh, I just wanted to come and watch you draw if that’s alright.” I hope I wasn’t imposing too much. I doubt she tends to have an audience when drawing.   
  
She grins wide and nods happily. I spend some time watching Sasha make some comics. The two of us grew a little closer today.   
  
I glance up at her as she drew. I could tell how passionate she was about this. I know she was pretty famous for it online. She had her own stories she told that way.

I tap her shoulder again and her attention turns back to me. “Sorry, I just...was getting curious about something.”

Sasha smiles a little and turns a page in her sketchpad. ‘ _You want to know what it’s like to be deaf?_ ’

“Huh? Oh, no, that’s not what I--”

‘ _It’s okay, Wayne. I get it all the time, I’m not too bothered by it._ ’

“But really, that’s not what I was going to ask! But...I guess, if you’re offering...I’m a little curious about that, too.” I felt bad asking that at all, but if she was open to sharing...

‘ _I_ _t’s not really all that different. Growing up, I had to take ASL classes with my parents so they could learn how to talk to me. And in school, my parents made me have a translator around so everyone else could understand me._ ’

The idea of a kid being followed around school by a grown adult only fills me with the dread of knowing that’s the kind of kid that gets bullied. And sure enough...

‘ _I got picked on for it and it kind of spurred me to find another way to talk with people. So I started drawing and trying to communicate with that._ ’

“How’d that work out for you?” I ask her curiously.

She smiles softly. ‘ _Not great. But I found out I really liked drawing, so I didn’t stop. My parents and friends were really supportive of me, at least, so it helped me keep going._ ’

“Well, you got pretty big from the whole thing. Guess that showed the guys that picked on you, huh?”

Sasha giggles a little bit. ‘ _You should have seen their faces when they saw how popular I was getting online. They all wanted to be my best friend suddenly._ ’

I smile a little bit. “Sounds about right. Sorry you got treated like that, though.”

‘ _It’s not a big deal, Wayne. Without jerks like that, I probably wouldn’t have started drawing as much to begin with. I wouldn’t go as far as thanking them for it, of course._ ’

She stands up from her chair. ‘ _I’m going to go find Jeremiah. He promised we could hang out today. I’ll see you around._ ’ Sasha waves to me and makes her way out of the room.

Sasha must be pretty strong to find the positive even in a situation like that. I was happy I got to know that sort of thing about her.   
  
I go off on my own to talk with someone else. I end up finding Joshua in the gym, rummaging around in the storage space for some sports equipment. He looks at me as I enter and a wicked grin crosses his face. “Wayne, just the guy I was hoping to see!”

“Huh? Really?” I ask.

“Sure! Hey, come here, would you? Let’s play a game together. I’ll play fair, honest!”

I didn’t trust him, but I figured it was better than doing nothing at all. I spend some time playing a game with Joshua. The two of us grew a little closer today.

We were playing a game of hopscotch using some hula hoops and a frisbee we found. I figured a game like this would be too simple for Joshua to cheat in, but even then, I had my doubts.

“Looks like I’m winning, Wayne!” Joshua declares.

“I don’t think someone can ‘win’ at hopscotch...” I reply uncertainty.

Joshua rolls his eyes. “Please, you can win at anything you want to. Life’s a competition, you know.”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

“What do you think I mean?” Joshua looked a little annoyed now. “Everyone is always trying to outdo each other, all the time. Getting good grades, getting the promotion, getting what you want in life...it’s all a competition and you’re up against everyone else in the world.”

That was a bit of a bleak way to view the world. Is that really how Joshua sees life? Just something you have to win?

“Besides, look at me! An official Ultimate student! I’ve basically already made it. Handpicked by the government itself! No faster way to the top!” He grins wide, a cocky air about him. “I have life in the bag, handed to me on a silver platter. And you wanna know how I got here?”

“...because...of your talent, right?”

“Exactly! I cheated my way to the top, baby!”

Joshua sounds like the kind of person that would be the villain of a Saturday morning cartoon. The one that gets his comeuppance in the end for his bad moral decisions. Sounds like that never happened for Joshua.

“Isn’t that wrong, though?”

“Ugh, don’t even start with the morality talk.” Joshua frowns in disgust, rolling his eyes. “You act like no one has ever cheated on anything before.”

“What? That’s not what I was trying to say...”

“Yeah, whatever. By the way, I totally cheated.”

“How did you--” But Joshua was already walking out of the room, not letting me ask him anything else. I look at the make-shift hopscotch and sigh. Guess I was cleaning that up, then.

I end up finding my way into the library. Harold was sitting at a table with a laptop. He was typing away at it, totally focused on his work.   
  
I walk over and sit next to him. If he noticed me, he didn’t make it apparent. "Where did you find that?”   
  
Harold looks up at me, adjusting his circular-rimmed glasses. "It was in the storage room with a few others. Possible school property. I'm trying to see if it withholds any important information.” He gets back to work, instantly losing his focus on me.   
  
I glance at the screen. I really wasn’t sure what he was trying to do. “Mind if I keep you company while you work?” I ask him.   
  
Harold sighs and waves a hand dismissively without looking at me. “Fine, if you must. But keep quiet.”   
  
“Alright, deal!” I sit back in my chair. I spend time watching Harold try and fail to find anything of use on the laptop. The two of us grew a little closer today.   
  
Harold shuts the laptop with an annoyed grunt after some time. "Nothing useful. I wouldn't expect Mononuki to give us something like that. It'd ruin his game.”   
  
I look at him. "So you really do think that tanuki is serious? About us killing each other?"   
  
Harold frowns and looks up at me. "Of course I do. We're locked in the most famous school in the country, as far as any of us are aware. Not a single living person is here beside us and whoever is controlling that _thing_ . Almost all of us are incredibly famous. We should have been found by now or at least heard some kind of news. And if we haven’t, it means we’re dealing with a force here stronger than we expect.”   
  
I was silent for a minute as I think over what he said. "Yeah...you're right..." I finally say. “But that doesn’t mean we should give up hope just yet. Someone’s probably trying to break down that door already.”

“Tch.” Harold pushes his glasses up. “You sound just like that idiot, you know...”

“Idiot? You mean...Perry?”

“Perseus is also rambling on about motivational nonsense like that. He is so overly positive and optimistic...”

“So, that makes you the pessimistic one then, huh?” I say jokingly.

“Realistic. I prefer being called realistic.”

“You could take a page from Perry’s book, is all. Try looking on the bright side of things, huh? Being pessi...realistic doesn’t always mean you’ll be right.”  
  
Harold gets up, his impatience growing. "I am always right. Do not ever forget that.” He begins to walk off with the laptop but stops. He turns to face me, his glasses shining in the light of the room. “...and do be careful. Any signs of weakness could cost you your life in a game like this whether you admit what is happening around us or not." And with that, he walks off.

Harold definitely seemed like the gloom and doom to Perry’s endless cheer. I almost felt bad for him. He was just a kid, after all. He shouldn’t have to worry about stuff like this.

It was getting late now, so I head to the cafeteria to snag myself some dinner before I went to my room. So far, things have been...alright. Everyone is relatively calm and getting along for the most part. This killing game was already feeling like less of a threat, which I was happy to note.

After getting some dinner, I walk into the lobby only to have Betty nearly miss colliding into me. She had to come to a screeching halt with her heels digging into the ground. I was lucky she was as fast at stopping as she was at running.

“Oh, hey Wayne, totally didn’t see ya there you just kinda came out like BLAM! and I almost ran into you like CRASH! but I totally saw you in time so it’s all okay and it’s good that I did cause I was looking for you anyway since I wanted to ask you a question that I already asked Nancy and was hoping you’d be cool with answering since I’m super curious and hyped to hear what you have to sa—“

“A-Alright, Betty, I get it...what did you want to ask me?”

“Oh, right! I’m inviting you to be...my workout buddy!” Betty throws her arms up, an excited grin plastered on her face.

“Workout buddy..? Why me?”

“Well, duh, it’s ‘cause you already workout! I mean, you do workout, don’t you? You’re the Ultimate Fencer, that’s a sport, so that means you gotta be athletic!”

“Well...yeah, I workout sometimes. I mostly do stance testing and practice with my sister. Mm...I also work on my agility and reflexes with some basic exercises.”

“That’s fine! Nancy said she ‘beats the shit out of things’.” Betty dropped her voice an octave in a poor attempt to emulate Nancy’s voice. “And a lot of my exercises are for stamina, breathing, and leg muscles. We all do different stuff, but it’ll be fun if we all hang out together anyway!”

I smile softly. “Yeah, it does sound pretty fun. Alright, if you want to start working out together, I’ll start showing up. Are we going to start tomorrow?”

“Nope! I need to do a lot of exercises at night so I’m ready to go to bed, so I always get to work on it after dinner or else I’m too high strung and don’t get a wink of sleep which means I was on my way there now and Nancy already said she was going to show up so now you have to, too!”

...right now? It was going to be nighttime soon. But...I don’t think Mononuki ever said the gym was closed at night, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, I did just agree to do it. I can’t back out now.

“Alright, I can do that now. I’ll go grab my saber from my room and meet you two there, okay?”

“Haha, yes!” Betty pumps her fists in the air, absolutely beaming with pride. “You won’t regret it, Wayne! When we’re done, you’ll crash in an instant and have one of the greatest sleeps of your entire life! That’s a Betty Fritz promise! See ya there, slowpoke!”

Betty zooms off with that, charging her way down the hall where the facilities were located. I head the opposite direction, going back to the dorms so I could grab my saber and my mask. I saw Nancy punching one of those football dummies when we first met. I can grab one of those and use it as a dummy for practice. It’s not as great as a real opponent, but Nancy didn’t like the idea of using weapons over her fists and Betty wasn’t really the type to sit still and listen to instructions. I can do other stuff with the two of them, anyway.

I head to the gym once I had what I needed. When I got there, I found both Betty and Nancy were already here. Betty was bouncing around Nancy like an excited puppy, blabbering on like she always does. I swear Betty’s mouth could move a lot faster than her legs ever could. It had its own charm to it, though.

“Oh, oh, there he is!” Betty beams upon seeing me. “Told ya, Nancy! Wayne showed up just like he said he would! Haha, I told you!”

“I never said he wasn’t gonna show,” the boxer retorts. “Hey, Wayne, get over here! I wanna see if you can fight like a real man!”

I blink. “A...A real man..?”

“Yeah, drop the damn sword and put up your fists! Let’s see you take Nosebleed Nancy on head first!” She hits her fists together. Nancy was fired up and I haven’t even answered yet.

“U-Uh...” I really didn’t want to get my face pummeled in. “I’m not great with my fists. My sword’s not even really a weapon. It’s...It’s more like sporting equipment.”

Nancy huffs through her nose, turning her head away and placing her hands on her hips. “Whatever you say, pussy.”

Okay, that was definitely uncalled for. But I was here for Betty and she still seemed giddy. The last thing I wanted to do was start a fight with Nancy, both for Betty’s sake...and my own.

“Sorry, Nancy...hey, do you think you could help me get one of those football dummies out? It’d make a pretty decent practice dummy for me. It’s kind of the best I have to work with here.”

“Yeah, I know whatcha mean. I didn’t see a punching bag in there before. It really sucks!” Nancy makes her way over to the equipment storage. I go to follow her, but one of the dummies comes flying out of the room and lands with a heavy thud in front of me. Another one follows behind it, landing next to it. Nancy comes out soon after, dusting her hands off. “Done and done.”

I open my mouth to say something and just as quickly shut it. I really shouldn’t make any kind of comments about that. “Thanks, Nance.” I grab one of the dummies and start dragging it away so I had room to use it without being in anyone’s way.

Betty had already begun her own routine, doing some stretches nearby. Nancy was getting straight to work on setting up her dummy so she could knock it right back down. I grab my mask and pull it down over my face. I was pretty proud of my mask—an electric sabre mask, given to competitive fencers. It was even FIE approved so I could compete internationally.

I get into the proper stance and use this time to simply practice maneuvers. I could imagine the kind of hits and defenses my opponent could make during a match. Planning for this kind of stuff was always key. Parry, riposting, priority--I can’t let a single one be missed. If you weren’t able to read your opponent and quickly react to it, you’d lose. End of story.

Even without a real opponent against me, I got lost in the imagery of it all in my head. I could practically hear the click of our swords, the flash of movements as my opponent and I dance around each other, the hum of a cheering audience in the back of my mind. All my focus is on my opponent, it has to be. If I take my eyes or mind off of the duel for even one second then—

“HEY, WAAAAAYNE!”

“GAH!”

A voice called out to me, one of my feet kicks the other, and I go tumbling to the ground with a thump. I pull my mask off of my face to see Betty standing over me, sweat glistening on her brow. “Hey, man, I’ve been calling your name for, like, ever! You really got lost in the whole sword fighting thing which was really cool at first but then you missed the nighttime announcement and I was getting worried you had suddenly gone deaf like Sasha or something!”

“Oh...geez, sorry, Bet. I just got in the zone is all.” I rub the back of my head a little bit. It was a little embarrassing that I ended up getting that distracted when we were all supposed to be working out together.

“Dude, I _totally_ get it! I get in the zone all the time and sometimes I just won’t stop running cause my mind just doesn’t even realize that I’m still running so I end up being in the wrong town or lost because I took too many turns and there was this one time I got lost in the woods so I just kept running straight and I got even more lost until I finally managed to get out and I had to ask for a ride home but I got too antsy sitting in the car so I jumped out and just sprinted my way back.”

“...yeah...something like that.” I don’t think I was following along with that story at all. Something about a car..? Betty holds her hand out to me and I take it, getting back to my feet with her help. I grab my mask and saber off of the floor.

“Alright, pipsqueaks, I don’t think that was too bad!” Nancy says from her own station. She was breathing deeply, just as sweaty as Betty and I. “Tomorrow, let’s try doin’ something together though! I was thinkin’ something more basic, like stretches and core exercises.”

“Yeah, totally! I love doing crunches! I bet you guys can’t beat my high score, either! It’s so amazing that you’ll never believe me when I tell you!” Betty declares.

Nancy scoffs and a cocky smirk crosses her face. “Oh yeah? You wanna bet? Fine, I’ll double your high score tomorrow night! Just you watch, Betty! I’ll leave you in the dust just like that!”

“Haha, sure you will! Next, you’ll tell me Wayne is gonna be able to do more than ten!”

“H-Hey!” I say in shock. “I can do more than ten crunches!”

“Heh, we’ll see, pipsqueak. I’m gonna go get in a hot shower and crash in bed. Smell ya both later.” Nancy stretches her arms above her head and heads out of the room.

“Ha, smell, I get it! Cause we all stink! Bleh, really badly, too. I’d totally kill for a shower! See ya in the morning, Wayne!” Betty goes dashing out of the room after Nancy.

I look down at my mask and let out a soft sigh. I really was dying to get in a good match. I’ll just have to worry about it once we all get out of here. Nothing I can do about it before then, after all.

I make my way out of the gym as well, shuffling back to my room. I get in a long, hot shower and collapse into bed after that. I was out like a light once my head hit the pillow.


	5. Chapter 1: Hope Is Just Another Name for Despair - Daily Life Part II

“ _ Yaaawn _ ...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

I grumble a little bit and turn in bed, my eyes slowly opening. Guess that just meant it was another day here.

I get up after a moment and go get myself ready for the day. Once I was presentable, I left my room to go get myself some breakfast.

I see Francesca in the hallway again when I got up, but this time she was chatting with Jess. The babysitter seemed pretty cheery as they talked. Francesca seemed like herself, which mostly meant being the only one to talk.

I walk over to them, smiling. “Morning, Jess. Morning, Fran.”

“Oh, hey, Wayne! Sleep alright?” Jess asks me.

“Yeah, sure did. Betty, Nancy, and I are doing this nighttime exercises so I was out like a light.”

“Bleh.” Francesca sticks her tongue out. “Exercising? Don’t you get all gross and sweaty after that..?”

“Franny,” Jess says. I recognize the tone of her voice, like a disappointed parent. “Weren’t you just telling me about your own exercise routine?”

“Well...that’s different! I don’t get gross when I exercise!” Francesca crosses her arms, becoming defensive.

“Hey, you could try joining us tonight, Fran. We’re gonna try doing some group stuff. I doubt the girls will mind if you join in,” I say.

Francesca’s nose crinkles “Hard pass.”

“Well, what about you, Jess?”   
  
Jess smiles softly. “That’s sweet, but I’m more of a light jog kinda girl. I don't think I could keep up with you guys!”

“Alright, well, the offer’s still open if the two of you change your mind at all. I’ll meet you guys in the cafeteria.” I wave to the two of them and make my way out to the lobby.

I didn’t bump into anyone until I had gotten to the cafeteria, where a bunch of the others were already. I noticed Rick had shown up today and was shyly seated with Sasha and Jeremiah. Cassidy wasn’t around, though.

I go get myself some breakfast and take a seat to begin eating.

“So, where’s that rescue you guys were blathering on about?” Jeremiah says after a little bit.

“Didn’t you also agree we were going to get rescued?” Rita shoots back.

“Irrelevant. If there was going to be any, it should have been here by now.”

“H-Hey, come on, I don’t want to talk about that...” Rick says gently.

“There’s no need to be so glum!” Perry declares. “I am confident we will be rescued any day now!”

“Any day, huh?” Harold asks. “Yesterday you were saying any minute.”

Perry falters a bit. “N-Now, now, Young Harold...there’s no need to be like that...”

“You guys worry way too much,” Joshua grumbles. “This game’s a joke anyway. No one’s actually going to kill.”

“Yeah, it’s going to be alright, Jeremiah,” I say. I wanted to put a stop to this conversation before Jeremiah started getting the others riled up. “No one’s going to play Mononuki’s game anyway, so it’s just a matter of waiting. We can pull it off.”

“Is that so..?” A familiar voice calls out. Everyone looks over at the edge of the table, where Mononuki now stood, looking sleepy as ever. “But...I worked so hard on it...”

“Ew, there’s a rat in the cafeteria!” Rita says, quickly turning away from Mononuki to snicker.

“Come back for a fight, huh?! Gonna take me on for real now?!” Nancy demands.

“Oh, uh...nah. I just came here to see why you were all still alive...”

“Because we don’t want to play your game,” Betty says. “It stinks, just like you! Now go away!”

“You don’t wanna play..? But...the only way out is if you do...”

“Please, like we’re gonna listen to that!” Francesca retorts from the doorway with a dismissive wave of her hand. “It’s just a matter of time before this whole game blows up in your face! Honestly, you should let us go now and maybe you won’t get the electric chair for any of this!”

“So...that’s it, huh? You guys aren’t motivated...mm...okay.”

“Just...okay..?” Tyler asks.

“Yep. Okay.” Mononuki hops off the table and we watch him simply waddle off. That was...weird. Why did he even show up if he wasn’t going to do anything? I don’t really get this game.

“Dumb rat. I hope this ends soon, I miss my phone,” Francesca whines. She had her arms crossed and was pouting. “What are all my followers going to think if I’m not keeping them updated?”

“They’re gonna think about all the other celebrities they’re followin’,” Nancy jokes.

“Oh, shove a boxing glove in it.” Francesca snaps back.

Nancy’s smile drops. “Y’know, I’m kinda curious how easily that pretty face o’ yours would break in one hit.”

“Try me! I know self-defense, I’ll kick the crap out of you if you even try to touch me!”

“Nancy, Franny, please stop it!” Jess yelps. “We shouldn’t be fighting each other! You both should say sorry right now!”

“Tch, I’m not apologizin’ for crap!” Nancy remarks, sitting back in her chair. 

Francesca just turns her nose up and looks away. These two definitely aren’t getting along. Hopefully, they don't try to pull anything drastic. Neither of them ended up apologizing, but the arguing at least stopped.

Breakfast moved on from there without too much trouble. I didn’t have much else going on today until my meeting with Betty and Nancy tonight, so for now, I just had time to myself.

[FREE TIME - START!]

I caught up with Patrick in the storage room. He was going through the fabric again like when I first found him, but now it seems like he was actually picking some out and setting them aside.

“Greetings, Wayne,” Patrick says without turning to look at me. How did he know it was me? Did he see me come in?

“Hey, Patrick...getting ready to make some new cosplay?” I ask. I wasn’t really sure what else to talk about.

“There’s plenty of supplies lying around here. If we’re not getting out any time soon, I might as well do something with my time.”

When he was talking about cosplay, there didn't seem to be any harshness to his voice or disinterest to what he said. It was clear he genuinely enjoyed working on it. “Well, can I help you work?”

He didn’t say anything and I thought maybe he didn’t hear me. I was about to repeat myself when he finally spoke up again. “I’ll make you something.”

I was a bit surprised by the sudden offer, but it makes sense that the Ultimate Cosplayer would be able to make outfits for people other than himself. “That...sounds really great, Patrick! I’d love to have some cosplay made by you! Ha, my sister would be so jealous!”

“...yeah. Well, tell me what you want and we can start finding materials for it.”

I spend some time brainstorming cosplay ideas with Patrick. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“So how did you even get into cosplay, Patrick?” I ask after some time. We had picked out who I was going to be and now he was just getting the materials gathered.

He sets aside everything he had gathered so far. “Guess I can tell you. I was about six years old and it was Halloween. My parents couldn’t get me a costume though. They were too busy and didn't have the funds. So I went into the attic and found plenty of stuff to make myself a costume based on a popular collectible monster. My parents saw it that night and thought it was amazing.”

It was kind of nice knowing Patrick had parents that supported what he did. I don’t think I’d be where I was now without my family by my side, as cheesy as that might be to say.

“And I actually found myself liking making the costume...from there I just kept going. It was the first time I found something I enjoyed doing. Halloween is probably my favorite holiday because I can wear my costumes without being judged for it.”

He pauses for a moment. For a second I thought he was waiting for me to say something, but that ends up not being the case.

“I have a question for you, too. Do you know what it’s like to wear a mask?” He looks at me with his cold eyes. I couldn’t get over the feeling of him staring right into my very being with the way he locked his gaze onto mine. I couldn’t even look away.

“Well...” What did he mean by that? “I have a mask for my fencing competitions. It’s an official one for competitions, too. It took me a while to earn but—“

His eyes narrow. “Are you stupid on purpose or were you just born like that?” 

The suddenness of that caught me off guard. Where had that come from?!

He looks down at the supplies he had and collects them in his arms. “I’ll get this done and give it to you later. I feel like working in my room.” He walks off with it and I give a little wave as he leaves.

If I ever talked with him again, I'd make sure it's about what he was trying to say. Maybe I should also try to find a way to do it without making him angry.

I end up going to the infirmary after that. I found Jess there and she seemed to be taking stock of everything. I tap her shoulder and she jumps and spins around. “Oh...it's just you,” she says in relief.

I rub the back of my head awkwardly. A sheepish smile crosses my face. “Whoops, didn’t mean to scare you! So what are you doing?”

She turns back to the open cabinet she had been going through. “I’m just taking stock of everything in this room. Keeps my mind busy,” she says, mumbling the last part.

I nod and squat down to look inside. “Would you like some help then?”

The babysitter smiles warmly. “That would be wonderful! The two of us could get to know each other better!”

I smile in return and get to work. I spend my time taking stock of the infirmary with Jess. The two of us grew a little closer today.

I glance at Jess. She seemed to be a little upset right now. She was staring off into space while holding a teddy bear she had found. “Hey Jess, is something wrong?” I was a bit concerned right now.

Jess blinks, my voice returning her to reality. She quickly shakes her head. “No, everything is okay! I just...miss the kids.” She sets the little bear down.

“The kids?” I ask her. “You mean the ones you babysit?”

She nods, a wistful smile on her face. “They were such sweet little things. The smile on their faces when I showed up made my day! They were like the siblings I never had. Kids are just so wonderful, Wayne! Each one is so special and unique and different. They all have interests and thoughts that are so...so new! So fresh! They’re like blank slates. The world through a child’s eyes is truly a beautiful and wonderful thing. Something that I wish I could experience...”

I frown at that last remark. What could she mean by that? She was a kid once, too, wasn’t she?

“Is there something else you want to talk about?” I ask her.

She looks at me then back down to the bear she had set down. She didn’t respond to me and I decide the silence was better than anything I could come up with to say.

Jess sighs softly, finally breaking the quiet air around us. “I’m sorry, I was just rambling again. I think we’re about done here. Thank you for helping me out with this.” She hugs me and walks out of the room.

I was still a bit worried about Jess. Was it just a slip of the tongue or something worse? Maybe I should ask her about it another time.

I left the area and began wandering about the school. I notice Perry’s door was open as I walk down the hall. I couldn’t help but peek my head in.

Perry had a large suitcase sitting on his bed. It was open and filled with different sizes of brushes. He had some cans of paint, probably from the storage room. He was currently painting his walls.

His art...it was absolutely beautiful. Every single color and stroke of the brush had its own special hidden meaning to it that seemed to speak to me. I wasn’t able to understand it...but I felt it. I walk over and Perry looks down at me from his step ladder.

“Greetings, noble knight! Are you enjoying my art?” Perry asks me. He had a huge grin on his face and was covered in fresh paint.

“It’s amazing...” I say softly. I was absolutely stunned with what I was seeing.

He laughs and puts his hands on his hips. “Thank you! Nothing brings joy to me more than giving life to a room!” His voice was dripping with pure joy and excitement. Even in this place, he was doing his best to find the joy in it. He grabs a brush and hands it to me. “Everyone has a story they want to tell through art...would you like to show me yours?”

I was surprised by the offer. Was it really okay? I didn’t want to sound rude. Besides, who could ever pass up the chance to paint alongside the Ultimate Artist? I take the brush hesitantly. I spend my time painting with Perry. The two of us grew a little bit closer.

Perry puts down his brush, his entire wall painted. My contribution wasn’t nearly as amazing as his art was and it was easy to point out where I had painted.

When I look at Perry, I could see his face beaming with pride. “It’s absolutely perfect, noble knight! Thank you for your assistance!”

I give a tiny smile. “It’s not nearly as great as what you did.”

Perry shakes his head and tuts. “Nonsense. All art is amazing in its own way. Everyone makes art. I use sculptures and paintings and drawings. People like the scroll writer do it with their writing. Or the stage performer and her acting. Or you and the barbarian and the speed demon with your sports. Everyone is an artist in one way or another and they might never even realize it!”

That was honestly an interesting way to think about it. Sometimes I forgot that art was more than just painting and sculptures. He didn’t seem to forget something like that, though.

“Never forget that as long as it is something you love, I consider it a form of art! Because art is self-expression in its purest form.” He begins to pack up his supplies.

“Wow Perry...that was amazing. I’ve never viewed art like that,” I say. There was a beauty to his words when he spoke about art, like he was painting all over again. Perry shuts his suitcase.

“Most people do not. But I’m not most people,” he says, smiling.

“How did you get into art, anyway? I mean, you’re so amazing at it, you must have practiced for a long time.”

Perry was busy putting his things away while I talked. He glances over his shoulder to look at me. “Well, I suppose art was just what I always liked to do! Young Harold and I have always been doing what we do now. It is a second nature for us!”

He got into art just like that? Well, I could relate to that. Playing with toy swords was always my favorite thing to do as a kid. I must have gotten into countless duels with my sister and my friends.

“In fact, I should go find Young Harold now,” Perry ponders. “I hope to have everyone contribute to my room’s mural! I love seeing the art of others. It’s like a window to their inner selves.”

“I’ll be excited to see it when it’s done. I’ll see you later, alright, Perry?”

“Of course! Do come back any time, noble knight!” Perry waves to me as I head out of his room.

It was getting late now. I should go get some dinner before meeting up with the girls again. I make my way to the cafeteria. When I got inside, I noticed that most of the girls were gathered up together. Jess, Francesca, Nancy, Betty, Rita, and Sasha were all there and talking amongst themselves.

I didn’t want to interrupt them, but Jess caught my eye before I could move on. “Oh, Wayne, hey! You’re not busy, right?”

“Uh...no, I guess not. Why, do you need me?”

“Aw, c’mon, don’t tell him!” Rita pouts. “He might ruin it.”

“Please, he’s too much of a wimp to do something like that!” Nancy assures with a cocky smirk.

“Guys, hush!” Jess looks at the two with a soft frown before turning her attention to me with a smile. “The girls and I are planning a girl’s night for tomorrow. I was hoping you could go invite Cassidy and Giffany on our behalf.”

“Oh, sure...is there a reason you guys can’t?”

“Francince tried to invite Giffany and scared her so badly she won’t open the door for any of us now!” Betty says. “And Cassidy is super scary and we’re all too scared to invite her ourselves!”

“I ain’t scared!” Nancy demands. “I just don’t wanna.”

So she’s scared. “Yeah, I can do that for you guys real quick. Maybe I’ll see if the guys wanna get together that night, too. Where do you girls plan on meeting up?”

‘ _ The library! We start at 8! _ ’ is written on Sasha’s sketchpad, which she holds up high for me to see.

“Okay, got it. I’ll go give them the message and let you know what they say.”

“Thanks, Wayne. You’re a real lifesaver!” Jess says.

I head back to the dorm area, knocking on Cassidy’s door first. She answered after a moment. “Oh, Wayne. Did you need something?”

“The girls are planning a girls’ night tomorrow and asked me to come invite you.”

Cassidy was taken back by that, failing to respond to me for a solid few seconds. Her composure was swiftly regained. “...I can attend that. Where is it happening?”

“The library. They plan on starting it at 8 o’clock.”

Cassidy flips open her notepad and quickly scrawls something down. “Noted. I suppose I’ll see them then. Is that going to be all?”

She was so professional about this. I have a hard time imagining someone like Cassidy loosening up and enjoying a party. I hope she has fun there. “No, that’s all. Have a good night.” I wave and head off, Cassidy’s door shutting behind me.

I make my way to Giffany’s room next. I knock and don’t hear anything for a few seconds. “Hey, Giff? It’s Wayne!”

The door opens a little bit at that and I could see her peeking out again. “O-Oh...hey, Wayne. Um...what’s up..?”

“The girls wanted to invite you to a girl's night tomorrow at 8 in the library. They asked me to tell you.”

“They...They invited...me..? To hang...out...with them..?” Giffany’s voice was quiet and it looked like she was going into shock.

“Yeah, that’s what they said.”

“O...One second...” She shuts the door quietly. I could hear a clearly muffled squeal of glee from just beyond the door. It opens up again after it goes quiet. “I’ll make it..!”

I smile softly. “Good to hear. I’ll be sure to let the girls know. G’night, Giffany.”

“Good night!” Giffany shut the door and I could hear more squealing. I haven’t seen Giffany this happy and excited before. This must mean a lot to her.

Next, I knock on the doors of all the boys, telling each of them I wanted to have a guy’s night tomorrow since the girls were having one. I set it for the same time, at 8, but decided on holding it in the cafeteria. To my surprise, they all seem willing to show up. All except for...

“I’m not interested,” Patrick tells me. He was leaning on his doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. His uncaring eyes scanned over me as his presence loomed.

“Ah...are you sure? I don’t want you to feel left out or anything.”

“Is this about me feeling left out? Or about you wanting to make sure everyone is accounted for?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“You guys keep talking about how no one is going to kill and we’re all going to get out of this, but the distrust you hold for each other lies blatantly under the surface. This just seems like an excuse to have everyone be together in the same place so we’re all accounted for.”

What was he talking about? Of course I thought no one was going to kill...right?

An awkward silence hangs in the air until Patrick breaks it. “If everyone else is at either of these two meetings, then I won’t be able to do anything too nefarious. And if anything does go wrong, you’d all know I have the most likely hand in it. So one absence won’t pose a problem.”

“Patrick, that’s not what I...” I don’t know if I want to keep arguing over this. “...alright. Yeah, sorry to bug you. Have a good night...” I head off, letting Patrick slip back into his room.

I make my way back to the cafeteria to tell the girls that Cassidy and Giffany agreed to attend. Jess was excited for sure. They all head off and Betty bumps into me with her hip.

“Hey, workout buddy! Now that that’s outta the way, we’re gonna get to our workout tonight, yeah? I’m so pumped for it that I’ve been thinking about it all day and planning all kinds of exercises for us so we can get the most out of our time before we go to bed!”

“Yeah, I’ll be there for sure, Bet. Let me snag some dinner and grab my equipment and I can come join you and Nancy.”

“Haha, yes! I’ll be waiting, so don’t take too long, slowpoke!” Betty bumps me with her hip again then sprints out of the room.

I got my dinner and ate it quickly so I didn’t keep my workout partners waiting. I was on my way to my room in the next twenty minutes only to be stopped by the screens in the school flickering to life. It was way too early for the nighttime announcement, so why was..?

Mononuki yawns once he comes on screen. He seems more tired than usual. “Um...hey, everyone...so, I’ve been thinking...this whole ‘not killing each other’ thing is definitely a problem. I thought you’d all really want to get out but...I guess not. Maybe it’s just because you don’t know what you’re missing out on...so...why don’t you all meet me in the entrance hall? We can go over things there...”

What...did he want to talk about? Dread was building inside of me but I didn’t want to risk getting in some kind of trouble for not doing what he says. I take a deep breath and hold it as I make my way to the entrance hall.

Once I step into the room, I let the air in my lungs out. The others were gathered here already or just coming in behind me. Everyone had the same idea as I did and came to the entrance hall in no time.

Mononuki comes waddling out. “Oh geez...I’m late...sorry, I got a little sleepy...”

“What do you want?” Cassidy asks. “What’s the point of this meeting?”

“Oh, well...I was thinking about how you kids are still alive and kicking and I figured that uh...you just didn’t have the right motivation. So I figured I’d uh...fix that.”

“He’s going to torture us!” Giffany shrieks with tears brimming in her eyes. “Everyone run for your lives!”

“Mmmno...” Mononuki yawns softly. “Check your e-handbooks. I’ve sent all of you video files that you might wanna watch...”

My e-Handbook..? I fish it out of my pocket and turn it on. Sure enough, I had a video on mine to watch. I don’t trust this but everyone else had begun their own videos, so I hit play on mine.

The video comes to life with a voice-over. “You’re all so sure you’ll be saved and nothing will go wrong...but what if that’s a lie? What happens if you don’t leave? What if you’re in here...forever?” After that, I watch the screen shift to...my home. I saw my parents, sitting in the kitchen over a bunch of spread out papers. They were...missing posters? My face was plastered on them. I could tell how depressed they were. They were talking, and I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I knew they were arguing. My mom ends up storming out of the room, leaving my dad alone. The camera shifts to show my sister’s room. She was curled up in bed, hugging her knees to herself. She...must have heard the whole thing. Whenever she was upset like this, she’d work it out with her kendo sword, but it sat in her closet collecting dust instead. She gave up on it. “Is this real...or fake?” the voiceover says. “That’s for you to decide. Do you want to take the chance?” The video ends with that.

My e-handbook slides out of my clammy hands, clattering to the floor at my feet. That...That couldn’t be real...could it? My family...is falling apart. And I’m stuck in here while it happens. I...I have to do something. I...I have...to...

“I have to get OUT OF HERE!” Francesca screeches from her place in the room. My attention turns to her, seeing the seething rage of her expression.

“This...This isn’t real...this isn’t real...this isn’t real...” Giffany repeats to herself, curled up in the corner. 

“I...I can’t believe this...” Rick murmurs. “There has to be a mistake..!”

“Young Harold...you are not seeing what I think you are, are you?” Petty asks, looking distressed. Harold doesn’t respond, his eyes trained intensely to the screen before him.

Distress filled the room around me as everyone’s videos unveiled before their eyes. Cassidy, Patrick, and Harold stand as those seemingly unaffected by what every person just saw.

“Hey, was that shit real?! You better answer me, you little rat!” Nancy bellows out.

“Uh...I dunno. Maybe.” Mononuki responds in his typical blasè way. “They probably could be...Mm...I guess you’ll only find it if you get out...”

“Then let us OUT!” Francesca shrieks again, stomping her foot into the ground.

“I...think I already told you all how to get out.” Mononuki yawns. “Man...I’m getting sleepy again. You kids have a good night...” He waddles off, leaving all of us feeling unsatisfied and full of questions.

“They...They can’t be real,” Jess demands, but one look of her pale face tells me she doesn’t believe that. “We just...shouldn’t think about them. At all.”

“Did you not see what was on them?!” Tyler demands. “H-How could you not think about them?”

“It’s just what Mononuki wants,” Cassidy says. “He wants us to panic and think about the videos, think about escaping, think about the outside world. That’s how he’s going to get us to kill.”

“So, what, you suggest we just erase what we saw from our brains?” Jeremiah retorts. “It’s too little, too late for that one. We’re going to be thinking about these videos all night.”

Sasha taps her knuckles on the trophy case and holds up her sketchpad. ‘ _ Maybe we should talk about what we all saw? _ ’

“Nope! No, no, no, no! I know I love me some talking but there’s no way you’re getting me to open my mouth about what was on my video so don’t even try it!” Betty declares. She sticks her fingers in her ears. “I’m not listening to any of you now! Lalalala!”

“She’s annoying and stupid...but she has a point,” Joshua grunts. “I’d rather not open my heart to a bunch of strangers that’ll probably kill me in my sleep.”

“Kill? No one is going to do such a thing!” Perry declares.

“Geez, you’re all so blind,” Patrick sighs out. He rubs a hand through his bangs. “It doesn’t matter what you all do now, you all walked into his trap. It’s just a matter of time until one of you kills.”

“What about you?” Harold asks. “You seem incredibly certain you have no stakes in this.”

“That’s because I don’t,” Patrick shoots back. “The tanuki tried his damndest, but the stuff he showed me? I’d hardly call it a motive.” The cosplayer heads for the door, his arms crossed. “Let me know when someone decides to kill. I’ll be in my room.”

He heads out the door, leaving the rest of us to stand there in an awkward silence until we all eventually trickled out one after another. There were no more words to say about the subject. It seemed difficult to think of anything now.

I head back to the dorms, planning to lay down early and try to get some sleep, when Betty got in my way.

“Hey, are we still up for the workout in the gym?” she asks me. She sounded as chipper as usual, but I could tell she was just trying to force it. Her knees were shaking right now.

“Oh, well...” I hesitate to tell her I was just going to go straight to bed. She caught on and immediately put on big, watery puppy dog eyes. She’s seriously trying to guilt me into this? “...I guess I can show up for a little while, Betty.”

Betty perks up again. “Yay! Then I’ll meet you there!” She speeds off past me, going through the lobby and disappearing into the hallway leading to the various facilities.

I really, really didn’t feel like exercising right now, but I know if I go to my room Betty will just come to my door and start knocking. I don’t bother getting my fencing gear. Nancy said something about a group-based exercise yesterday, which I doubt includes posing practice.

Getting to the gym, I notice Betty had gotten Nancy to show up tonight as well. She was leaning against the bleachers, eyes closed and arms crossed. A scowl stretched along her face. Betty stood nearby, just out of arm’s reach, rocking on the balls of the heels in anticipation.

I walk over to the two girls. “Hey, I’m here. Sorry if you were waiting on me.”

“Nope, no problemo!” Betty chirps. “We’re all ready to get started, right, Nancy?”

“...I told you I’m not in the mood,” Nancy retorts in a gruff voice.

Betty’s expression falls slightly. “But Nancy, you promised me! Both of you did!”

“Yeah, well that’s before I fuckin’ saw--!” Nancy stops herself. She lets out a huff through her nose and forces her shoulders to relax again. “Just...buzz off. I just came here to get one of the football dummies and drag it to my room.”

Betty was starting to get frustrated now. “We’re supposed to work out together every night! We were gonna do something together tonight and have fun! C’mon, Nancy, just for an hour! Half an hour! Please, please, please!”

“Jesus, do you treat all your friends like this?” Nancy says. She finally gets up from the wall and heads for the equipment closet.

“...I don’t have any friends,” Betty says after a moment. “No one  _ likes _ hanging out with the weird girl that never shuts up. The only people that put up with me are on the track team, and they don’t even like me because they’re jealous that I keep getting all the recognition.” Betty pauses for once. She was fighting back tears. “No one here likes me either...and I’m scared. I’ve only got you and Wayne...I don’t want to be alone at night, okay? Can we please just...do something together? We don’t have to work out if you don’t want to, I just don’t want to be alone before bed.”

Nancy had stopped on her way to the door while Betty talked. There were a few seconds of silence at the end while everything that was said was taken in. Nancy’s shoulders slump and a heavy sigh rolls out of her. “...let’s start with 100 push-ups, okay?”

Betty smiles wide. “I could do 200 just as fast! Wayne, Wayne, c’mon!” Betty grabs my arm and starts shaking me. “Let’s see who can do the most push-ups!”

“A-Alright, Betty, haha, just let go of me!” I smile and pull my arm out of her grip. I hadn’t realized this was so important to Betty. I always thought she was just this bright, beaming ray of optimism. I didn’t really take a second to think she might be scared like the rest of us right now. This killing game and that video must be weighing down on her and this is how she’s handling it.

The three of us spend the next couple hours exercising, even going through the nighttime annoucenment. Nancy and Betty both do twice as many push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, squats, burpees, and sprints than I could ever hope to get done. And they weren’t letting me forget the entire time.

“C’mon, man! Only fifty burpees?!” Nancy shouts. “I still do twice that on bad days!”

“Oouuugh...guys, I feel like my insides are melting...” I groan, laying on the floor. “No more...”

“Burpees are tough but I just think of ice cream while I’m doing them!” Betty says supportively.

The thought of ice cream was making my stomach churn. “I think I’m tapped out for the night, you guys...”

Betty pouts. “Oh, poo...I guess we can go to bed then. I’m a little beat.”

Nancy grabs me by the back of my shirt and hoists me back onto my feet. “Tomorrow night, how about a bit of friendly sparring? I’ll even go easy on you pipsqueaks!”

“Deal!” Betty declares.

“D...Deal..?” I whimper out.

Nancy pats my back roughly, almost knocking me over. “Alright then, deal it is! You losers better bring ice packs just in case!” With a boisterous laugh, Nancy heads out of the gym. Just imagining the kind of beatdown Nancy was going to layout on me made my body ache.

Betty walks over to me. “Hey, need help walking back to your room? My muscles are totally on fire but I’m still good to go if you gotta lean on me or something! Whaddya say?”

“Thanks, Bet...I appreciate it.” With Betty’s help, the two of us begin heading back to our dorms.

“...uh, so you guys aren’t gonna tell anyone about all the weird emotional junk I said tonight, are you?” Betty asks me as we head back to our rooms.

“Huh? No way, I wouldn’t do that. I know Nancy won’t either.”

She lets out a gentle sigh. “Alright, cool. I’d hate it if that stuff got aired out to everyone. I know I can talk a lot but I’m really good at holding a secret so if you ever need someone to tell all your deepest, darkest, most personal thoughts to and keep them locked up and safe I’m totally your girl.”

“Heh...I’ll keep that in mind, Bet.”

The two of us get back to our rooms, Betty dropping me off at my door with a goodnight before disappearing into her room next door. I unlock my door and head into my room. I needed a hot shower first and foremost.

After getting ready for the night and collapsing into bed, I find myself staying wide awake for some time. Now that I was alone in my room with my thoughts, they were only drifting back to the motive unveiled today. Was my family really going to fall apart like that without me? Did I hold the family together that much?

My mom was a sweet and caring woman, always wearing her heart on her sleeve. My dad was more stoic, but he showed he cared in his own way through the little things. And my sister was always so bright and fiery that you’d think nothing could snuff her out. And yet I could picture it.

I go missing. Mom is in tears, worried all the time about my safety. Dad tries to comfort her, but he’s not showing the pain like she is. The two start to clash more and more over it, all while neglecting my sister. She starts to feel alone, isolated, invisible. Everyone is so worried over me, and she would be, too. But now her needs and wants are put aside and she constantly has to listen to my parents argue.

If I went missing...my family would fall apart. Well, I’ve gone missing. So how long do I have to fix it? How could I even do it, stuck in this place?

I didn't sleep well that night.


	6. Chapter 1: Hope Is Just Another Name for Despair - Daily Life Part III

" _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

The morning announcement stirred me awake from a restless sleep. I roll out of bed and right onto the floor, only to lay here for a minute before I finally drag myself to my feet and shuffle around to get ready for the day.

Once I was somewhat presentable, I made my way out of my room for breakfast. I needed some food even if I wasn’t feeling that hungry.

I spotted Francesca sulking in the dorm hall once I stepped out. Jess was nearby, trying in vain to get her to open up.

“I know we agreed to not talk about the videos, but you can tell me whatever you want, Franny,” she assures.

“...” Francesca wasn’t saying much if anything, her eyes looking elsewhere.

I walk over to the two girls. “Everything alright over here?”

“Oh, good morning, Wayne. I’m just a little worried about Francesca...” Jess explains.

Francesca’s eyes drift over to me and she suddenly smiles and flips her hair over her shoulder. “What? Worried about me? Jessie, you’re so cute, but I’m totally fine!”

“...huh?” Jess looks a little surprised. “But you...”

“C’mon, you think I was bugged by that stupid video? I know acting when I see it, and that video was full of it! Totally hammed up! So with that outta the way, let's head to the cafeteria, ‘kay? I want another of your star breakfasts!”

Francesca has done a complete turn around for what I saw just a minute ago. She seemed like her usual self again...was that a good thing?

Francesca heads to the cafeteria, followed by a worried Jess. I decide to make my way there, too, like I had planned.

The cafeteria wasn’t nearly as bustling as it usually was. A lot of the others didn’t seem to have shown up and those that did weren’t in the best of moods, even if some were trying to act like nothing had changed.

“I just wanted to remind everyone!” Jess says as she and Francesca take a seat. “Girl’s night is still on, so if you’re up to joining me in the library, I’ll be there!”

“Guy’s night is still happening, too,” I add quickly. “We’ll be here all night.”

There was a resounding lack of response from the small gathering, leaving Jess and I feeling awkward about the entire thing. I know some of the guys were really looking forward to it, though, and I didn’t want to leave them on their own.

I ate about half my breakfast before I lost my appetite. The cafeteria was mostly empty by then. At this point, I’d probably be better off finding someone to hang out with. There’s still tons of time before the guy’s night is supposed to start.

[FREE TIME - START!]

I end up spotting Francesca in the lobby. She had a compact mirror out and was doing her makeup in it. She notices me as I got closer and closes the compact with a snap.

I had to take a second to take her style in again. It was pretty jarring and a little hard to look at.. The only word to describe her...was red.

“Hey there, Wilson. You wanna hang out?” she asks me. I’m pretty sure she was trying to be seductive, but I’m not stupid. She could at least get my name right, first.

Still, I agreed to it. She is a famous movie star after all. Also, if I said no, I was afraid to see how she’d react to it. Francesca and I spend our time hanging out and chatting. The two of us grew a little closer.

“You really like the color red, huh?” I ask. Not the most sophisticated conversational point, but she made it a pretty important part of herself.

A smirk settles on Francesca’s face and she smooths out her dress. “Keeping your eyes on me, eh, Wendle?”

My face flushes. “Th-That’s not what I meant and you know it!”

“Oh, you’re no fun.” Francesca lets out a sigh and crosses her arms. “Red is just...such a beautiful color,” she begins. “It symbolizes so many things. Love and lust. Anger. Passion. War,” she gives a pleased sigh as she thinks about the color that has her so entranced. “So many different meanings all wrapped up in one amazing color. I make sure to incorporate it into everything I wear. That’s why I get called ‘The Scarlet Beauty On the Silver Screen’. Of course, I’m not allowed to wear it during _every_ single one of my films but...that’s show business. It’s a lot less painful to go with the flow rather than fight the current.”

“I could never do what you do. Being in the spotlight makes me too nervous. I can’t handle attention like that well.”

Francesca cocks a brow. “Aren’t you an athlete? You get watched by people when you play your sword games, right?”

“Uh...well, yeah, people watch me during my competitions. But that’s different. I can get lost in my game really easily. Tuning stuff out doesn’t really take much when I’m fencing. And I have my protective mask on, so it’s pretty easy to not think about it”

She rolls her eyes. “Geez, that’s so wimpy.” She crosses her arms under her chest and looks at a wall. “...what do you think will happen if we don’t get out?”

That was a sudden tonal shift. “Uh...what do you mean?” I wasn’t sure if I liked where this might be going or not.

“You know, like, if we die or stay here forever or something. What do you think will happen? Our fame, our image, everything...do you think people would just forget?” She finally looks at me, her red eyes studying me closely.

“Well, I don’t really know about all of that.” I rub the back of my head. Fencing wasn’t the most popular sport, but I guess it was possible to say I was famous. It’s not like I really needed that fame though. Even if I left the spotlight like that, I couldn’t say it would bug me. “I guess I don’t see the big deal in that.”

Francesca scowls and scoffs, looking away from me. I think she lost interest in the conversation. “As enjoyable as this was,” she begins to walk away, “it certainly didn’t turn out the way I expected. So long for now. Beauty never sleeps.” She walks off, her red hair bouncing as she did.

I get the feeling that conversation wasn’t about all of us together. Being an actress, I could see why fame might be important to her. I probably should have tried to reassure her.

I go off on my own again. I heard the practically feverish scribbling of Jeremiah’s writing coming from the library. I walk in to see what was going on. He was entirely alone at one of the tables.

I sat down next to Jeremiah and looked at what he was writing. He seemed to be writing about our experiences here and, from what I could read, it looks like he was enjoying his time with Sasha. Although she didn’t appear to be around right now.

Jeremiah’s writing stops and he looks at me. “Do you need something or do you just enjoy watching people in silence?” he asks. I was taken back by his harsh assertion, but I can’t say I’m too surprised by what he said.

“Sorry. I was kind of curious to see what you’ve written so far. I just didn’t want to disturb you.” I should have at least greeted him though.

He stares at me for a minute. I felt like he was looking right into me. It was such an unsettling experience. Then he nods and grabs what he’s written so far. “Of course you may read my manuscript if you really are that curious. You can even offer some criticism if you want. It’s good for me to fix any problems early on.”

I nod and take the manuscript. “Right, got it.” I spend some time reading it and talking with Jeremiah about it. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“So Jeremiah, I’m curious about how you ever got into writing,” I say. I look at him to see he was busy getting his manuscript back in order. 

“Well, I guess I’ve always liked writing,” he ponders after getting the pages back in order. “But it started with short story contests. I’d write something up about ten to twenty pages long and submit them. And I won a lot of the time.”

“Wow, really? I tried to do one once for school and ended up being pretty bad at it.”

Jeremiah shakes his head. “Yeah, I can believe that. You don’t seem very good with your words.”

I frown. “Hey, wait, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Anyway, one day I was approached by a publisher at my home. They had gotten a hold of some of my short stories and thought there was money to be made. They offered me quite the check to let them gather my stories into its own book.” As he continued talking, he seemed to be getting more prideful with the story. “Naturally, I wagered a higher price and still got my work submitted. It became a best seller.”

I was amazed. I had known he started early, but I had no idea it was at such a young age! No wonder he was the Ultimate Author with such skill like that. But then I started to think. The more I thought about it, the harder it became to believe. Was he telling the truth? “Money sounds pretty important to you.”

“Well, duh, Wayne. Money makes the world go ‘round. Do you think I’d be doing any of this for free? Each story I make is worth its weight in gold!”

Wow...money was _really_ important to him. I never really saw him as the fame and money type of guy, but it sounds like that’s what matters most to him.

Jeremiah stands up, putting his manuscript under his arms. “As much as I love to talk about myself, I’ll be on my way. If you want to read more later, just let me know. I’ll be working on this constantly.” And with that, Jeremiah walks off to his room.

As fantastic as it seems, I was beginning to wonder how accurate Jeremiah’s retelling of events actually was. Being randomly approached by a publisher sounds a bit out there. Still, the manuscript seemed true to what we’ve gone through so maybe I was just imagining things. I hope he’s not writing it just to make a quick buck, though.

I end up heading to the gym after getting a bite to eat. The sound of feet thumping on the floor could be heard as I opened the door. From the looks of things, Betty had decided to get some exercising in early today. She zooms past me as I walked in. At least she looked happy.

I was still stunned by Betty’s amazing speed. She was way faster than anyone I’ve ever seen! She skids to a stop right in front of me after her third lap around. “Oh, hey, hey, hey!” she chirps happily. “Didn’t quite see ya there buddy! Too busy running! I know we got those nightly exercises and all but we didn’t do neeeearly enough running last night so I figured I’d just get it all done today in advance! Oh, hey! I got an idea! I need to work on my upper body strength too so let me carry you.”

I didn’t even get the chance to respond before she grabbed me. She has me sit on her back piggyback style. She returns to her speedy running. I spend my time being carried around by Betty. The two of us grew a little closer today.

Betty stops running after a while and finally sets me down. She wasn’t even breaking a sweat yet! “Thanks for the help, Wayne! I need a good exercise run every day but I haven’t run super well lately so I just really needed that! I feel a hundred thousand million times better now that I’ve gotten all that out of my system! I’ve been running like that ever since I was a little kid and it’s just so much endless fun! The feeling of the air rushing past you and the sound of your feet thudding on the ground is just amazing. The way your muscles burn after a long run is a feeling I love to have. I just love love love love to run! Running is just undoubtedly the best!”

“That’s...That’s great, Betty.” I was still trying to process what exactly she just said. I was utterly lost.

“Oh! Oh, oh, oh! We should totally have a race with everyone! Or just me, you, and Nancy tonight during our training! It’ll be super-duper fun to watch you slowpokes try to keep up with the great Betty Fritz! We gotta do it! Promise me right here right now that you’ll do it or I’ll start crying! _Waaaah!_ I’ve already started crying!”

I wave my hands in the air in a panic. “Okay, I promise! You don’t need to cry! I think it could be fun.”

Betty laughs and puts her hands on her waist. “Yeah! Yeah, it’s a super great awesome idea! I’m gonna so totally tell the others and then they can join and we can all have fun together! That’s a Betty Fritz promise! I gotta go go go! Bye bye bye!” Betty charges away swiftly.

I don’t know if I can have normal conversations with Betty when she gets herself worked up like that, but I have to admit, it is nice seeing her that high energy and happy. I could definitely tell promises are important to her. She must take words to heart.

It was starting to get later now and I make my way to the cafeteria. Jess was in the kitchen getting snacks prepared for the girl’s night, so I join her and do the same.

“I hope all the girls show up...” Jess murmurs to herself. “I know after the motive, it’s been hard, but I think we need to be together now more than ever.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine and you’ll all have fun,” I assure her. “I’m more worried about the guys showing up. A lot of them are kind of...”

“Difficult?”

“Just a little.”

The two of us share a short laugh. Jess finished getting her refreshments together. “Alright, well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Wayne. Good luck.”

“Same to you.”

Jess heads out and off to the library. I keep getting the food set up for the guys. Some of them did start showing up. Perry was here first, looking plenty excited. Tyler came trailing in behind him.

“Hey, guys. Good to see you!” I say.

“And a wonderful good evening to you!” Perry bows politely. “Shall there be more guests arriving?”

“Ah, it just turned eight now. They’re probably running a little late. Hey, is Harold not with you?”

“Ah, yes, Young Harold insisted he is to be left to his own devices. He plans to study for the night. But he assured me he would be alright and that I should still go for the both of us!”

So he bailed on Perry. I’m not very surprised by that.

Joshua came in next, looking disinterested and hovering near the door as he watched the three of us.

“Oh, uh...are you going to come join?” Tyler asks as he munches on some chips and salsa I left out.

“So, you _can_ speak without your girlfriend attached to your hip.” A sleazy grin crosses Joshua’s face and he saunters into the room. Tyler sinks back into his seat, his face flushing.

Jeremiah came in about half an hour after the get together had started. He surveys the room and scowls, adjusting his glasses. “I feel the depression creeping up my back just by looking at you all...”

“Why don’t you get over here and liven the party up, rich boy?” Joshua sneers.

“Tch...” Jeremiah glances at the door, clearly contemplating leaving, before taking a seat away from the rest of us.

The guy’s night didn’t really go as great as I’d have hoped. Perry and I tried to keep things lively, so we played a drawing game. We tried to make Joshua the judge, but Jeremiah took the role and I got paired with Joshua instead. I was going to lose even if I won, I guess.

Half an hour before the nighttime announcement, Jeremiah got up from the table he was sitting at. “I’m going to bed...tonight wasn’t too awful, I guess. So if you want to do this again...I can show up.” He heads out the door.

Joshua and Tyler both left ten minutes later, with Joshua bored now that he’s won the game and Tyler wanting to check on Rita. Perry was gone soon after that to check on Harold before nighttime.

It was getting late. I went to the library after cleaning up to see if Betty or Nancy were still there. They might want to exercise tonight.

When I peeked into the library, I saw that the only girls left were Rita, Francesca, Jess, and Cassidy. Rita and Tyler were currently chatting away and heading for the door while the other three girls sat by. I was a little surprised to see Cassidy had shown up, but instead of making a show about it, I just head to the gym.

Nancy was in the gym when I got there, but I didn’t see Betty anywhere. “Hey, Nance, is Bet on her way?”

“Eh...she said she’d show up soon,” the boxer replies. “I figured the two of us could start sparring while we waited for her!”

I really didn’t want to spar, but Nancy wasn’t taking no for an answer. The nighttime announcement plays as she was advancing on me, making her stop. “That late already, huh? Betty should be here.”

“Maybe she’s just tired,” I suggest.

Nancy crosses her arms, frowning. “She did seem pretty tired when I saw her in the hall...but she said she can’t sleep unless she gets in her exercise at night.”

“She could just be doing it in her room. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”

“I just have a bad feeling...”

“Want me to go check on her then?”

Nancy sighs. “Nah, forget it...I still wanna spar!”

“Ah, wait, no!” I tried my best to get out of sparring, but Nancy just wouldn’t let me. In the end, I was bruised pretty badly before she seemed satisfied.

“Geez, you’re not very good at this...” she grumbles.

I groan a little bit. I was in some serious pain right now. Betty was lucky to be getting out of this. “I think I’m going to go to bed...”

“Yeah, alright, I will, too. G’night. I’ll go easier on you next time.” Somehow, that didn’t comfort me.

I make my way to my room and collapse into bed with a soft groan. I was exhausted after the guy’s night and sparring with Nancy, so I passed out as soon as I had touched the pillow.

...

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

I woke up in the morning feeling a little less sore. But as soon as I opened my eyes, I noticed something was wrong. My saber was missing from its stand.

I get out of bed and immediately begin searching through my room. Did I misplace it somewhere? When did I last have it? It’s not under my bed or in my bathroom or any of my drawers. It’s not in my room at all! Where the hell did it go?!

I head out of my room and go to the gym to see if I left it there, but I turn up empty on that. So I head to the cafeteria next.

It looks like a lot of the others had shown up to breakfast today. Seems they just needed a day to get their bearings again. The only ones not present were Cassidy, Giffany, Rick, and Betty. Wait, Betty? Usually, she showed up for breakfast. Was she still in her room?

“Hey, has anyone here seen my saber?” I ask. “It’s not in my room and I can’t find it.”

“Sorry, I haven’t seen it,” Jess says. “Where did you leave it last?”

“In my room...I think.”

“You think?” Harold retorts. “That’s not a confident answer.”

“That’s so insightful! Will you tell me what I’ve been eating for breakfast next, Captain Obvious?” Joshua asks, a shit-eating grin on his face.

Well, they aren’t being any help. I guess none of them have seen it. But what does that mean for me, then? Where could my saber have gone?

Nancy walks over to me, avoiding eye contact. “Hey, sorry about your sword or whatever, but can we go check on Betty? She shoulda been here...”

“Huh?” Nancy had a point. Betty always showed up for breakfast. “Oh, sure, I guess I’ll look for my sword later. Come on.” The two of us head out of the cafeteria and back to the dorms. While heading for Betty’s door, someone else’s room opens up.

Cassidy enters the hallway and spots the two of us. “What are you two up to?”

“Oh, we’re checking on Betty. We haven’t seen her lately and she didn't show up to breakfast,” I say.

Cassidy’s expression shifts for a moment. Did she just show worry? “...I’ll come with you, then.” Cassidy walks over to us.

Nancy nudges me forward, making me stumble. “Alright, pipsqueak, knock on the door.”

I huff and knock loudly. “Hey, Bet, you in there? It’s Wayne and Nance...and, uh, Cassidy.”

I wait patiently for a bit, but there was no answer. I knock again, louder. “Betty? Hey, are you in there?”

“Try the door,” Cassidy suggests.

I look at her then back to the door. Why would it be unlocked? The door...can’t be unlocked, could it? I grab the handle and it falls off in my hand immediately. What...the hell..?

I drop the doorknob and open the door, rushing into the room. “Betty?! Are you in here?!”

The bedroom was empty but otherwise spotless. Nancy and Cassidy followed in behind me. Nancy looked uncomfortable and Cassidy’s eyes were meticulously scanning the room.

I glance around but fail to see Betty anywhere. My eyes move over to the door leading to her bathroom. It was shut tight. Was she..?

I walk over to the door and grab onto the handle with a clammy hand. I felt a cold jolt shoot up my spine. Dread was knotting my stomach tightly. Something...was wrong. I open the door.

I’m met immediately with the stench of blood. I could see it all over the sink, the mirror above it smashed to pieces. My eyes trail down to the blood splattered along the floor. And then I see...

The stiff body of **Betty Fritz, the Ultimate Track Star** , laid out in the center of the bathroom. She was covered in slashes and stabs, her face marked with pain and shock. Sticking out of her stomach was my saber.

I didn’t...know what I was seeing. I couldn’t understand. She was fine yesterday. We saw her _yesterday_. She was laughing, smiling, having fun. And now...she was dead.


	7. Chapter 1: Hope Is Just Another Name for Despair - Deadly Life Investigation

**Chapter 1: Hope is Just Another Name for Despair! [Deadly Life - START!]**

I felt like my world was collapsing around me. Betty...was dead. No matter how much I wanted it to be a joke, to have Betty get up like nothing happened and smile like always, I knew it was impossible. Someone...Someone killed her...

I try to take a step back, but my legs gave out from under me and I collapse onto my ass. The shock brought me out of my daze. “A- **_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!_ ** ” A ballistic scream ripped its way out of me, finally released after bubbling up inside of me.

Nancy and Cassidy both rush over to me and then past me to look into the bathroom.

“Wh-What the fuck...Betty..?” Nancy whimpers. Her voice has never sounded so weak.

**Ding-Dong~! Bing-Bong~!**

The screens flicker to life and Mononuki’s face filled them. “Heeeey, everyone. So uh...it looks like a body’s been discovered. Head to Betty’s room if you wanna see it...”

The sound of stomping feet and confused voices filled the room in a matter of seconds. I was still on the floor, dazed and shaking. My screaming had died off by now, but the noise of paranoid chatter had replaced it.

“Oh god! Oh god, she’s dead!” Tyler screams, clinging tightly onto Rita.

“Young Harold, don’t look! Keep your eyes on me!” Perry demands.

“I...I can’t believe this...” Rick murmurs weakly. “Who would...?”

“ _ Waaaaaaaaah! _ I wanna go hoooooooome!” Giffany wails.

Someone grabbed me and dragged me back onto my feet. I think it was Nancy.

“...uh...” Mononuki says, still on the screen. “Now that that’s...outta the way. Let’s all gather in the entrance hall..! Yeah...” And the screen finally shuts off.

“H-He wants us to gather..?” Jess asks in disbelief. “But...But what about Betty..?”

“Well, it’s not like she can just get up and walk away,” Patrick replies in his usual boredom. “We might as well go.”

“Oh, is the corpse in front of you not entertaining enough?!” Jeremiah demands. “You could at least  _ act _ like you give a shit!”

“Did you give a shit about her when she was alive?” Patrick shoots back. “Did any of you? I only ever saw two people hang out with Betty. But now that she’s dead, suddenly everyone cares and is sad she’s gone. You’re all so predictable.”

“Imma give ya ten seconds to shut your goddamn trap before I shut it for you!” Nancy bellows.

Patrick’s words left the rest of the room in uncomfortable silence, though. No one had any retort to what he just said, at least not right now. There was too much going on to worry about what he was saying.

“We should be going,” Cassidy says coolly. “We don’t want to know what happens if we disobey Mononuki. Someone is dead now, this isn’t the time to be taking risks. I’ll meet you all there.” She heads out of the room at a brisk pace, her heels clicking as she exited the door and disappeared down the hall.

Patrick followed next and the others began to trickle out slowly afterward. Nancy and I end up being the last two in the room.

“...she’s really...dead, huh?” Nancy says. With the others gone, that weakness in her voice was back. I could see tears forming in her eyes. “She was scared to be alone at night. If we had just come to check on her last night then maybe she wouldn’t have been...”

“Nancy, it’s not our fault,” I say softly. “Let’s...Let’s go, okay? Cassidy was right. We can’t leave Mononuki waiting.”

“...yeah, whatever...” Nancy makes her way out of the room slowly. This situation must be crushing for her. I know it was for me. I still just couldn’t wrap my head around Betty being dead. She was always one of the most lively and energetic amongst us and now...

A defeated sigh escapes me. I trudge out of the room and make my way to the entrance hall as all the others had. I was the last to show up.

“Ah...goodie, everyone is here,” Mononuki says cheerily.

“...isn’t that a problem?” Harold asks.

The mascot tilts his head a little. “Huh? Problem? Why would that be a problem..?”

“There’s been a murder, hasn’t there? That means the killer should have been let out. But there’s fifteen of us in the room. Counting Betty’s absence, that means everyone is here.”

“Hey, he’s right, what’s the big idea?” Joshua demands. “Are you trying to cheat someone out of an escape?!”

“Oh...uh, they haven’t earned it yet,” Mononuki says. “I mean...you still have to get away with the murder. But that’s what I wanted to talk to you all about anyway. Once three or more people find a body, the Body Discovery Announcement will play. That means we’re getting ready for our first ever...Class Trial!”

Class...Trial? “What..?” I ask softly. “What are you talking about?”

“The Class Trial is an event where all remaining students will debate amongst each other in a search for the killer, known as the blackened. When you all reach a decision, Voting Time begins. If you vote correctly, the blackened will be punished and the killing game continues. If you guess wrong then the rest of you get punished and the killer is set free. You guys are like...the judge, jury, and executioner.” Mononuki lets out a wide yawn, his voice tapering off at the end of his speech. “Mm...that was exhausting to explain...”

“And...by punished you mean...” Rita trails off.

“Oh...you’ll be  _ executed _ .”

“E-Executed?!” Tyler repeats. “Y-You mean we’re all going to die if we get it wrong?!”

“That’s bullshit!” Francesca demands. “You can’t do that to us! Do you know who I am?!”

“Uh...I can. And will,” Mononuki says. “Now then...this is your investigation period. You can use it to gather clues and build your case...oh, uh, and I’ll give you this. It’s the Monofile.”

Everyone’s e-handbooks beep and we fish them out. A new tab had opened titled Monofile. Check it shows me a new page with some information on it and a picture of Betty’s body covered in pink marks.

_ Monofile #1 _

_ The victim of this case is Betty Fritz, the Ultimate Track Star. Betty was found in her room with multiple stab wounds and slashes on her body, primarily covering her arms and torso. There is also a wound on her forehead. The estimated time of death is 10:10 pm. Betty’s body was discovered by Wayne, Nancy, and Cassidy. _

“The Monofile is filled with information for you to use in this case...it’s all accurate, too,” Mononuki says. “Since you guys are just amateurs...I figured I’d give you all a leg up for the investigation.”

‘ _ You can’t seriously be asking us to do this, _ ’ Sasha writes in a shaky scrawl. ‘ _ This is all too much. _ ’

“Well...you’re free to do nothing, but I dunno how helpful that’ll be in finding the killer...anyway...I’m getting sleepy, so I’m gonna go take a nap. We’ll start the trial when I wake up...” Mononuki waddles off, leaving all of us on our own again.

“We don’t need any of this investigation crap!” Francesca demands. “I already know who the killer is!”

“What?! You do?!” Jess asks. She grabs onto Francesca’s arm. “Then you have to tell us!”

“Yeah, I want to know so I can beat the shit out of them!” Nancy yells.

“But of course. The killer is none other than...Wayne!” Francesca points her accusing finger right at me.

My eyes widen. “H...Huh? Me..? But I...”

“It was your sword found in Betty!” Francesca declares. “That’s indisputable evidence that you’re the killer!”

All eyes were on me now. “H-Hold on, that’s...that’s not true. I lost my sword this morning, remember..?”

“You could have been lying...” Rita murmurs softly.

“H-Huh?” I look over to her, but she turns her eyes away from me.

“It’s...not like we knew about the trial rules...” Rick says. “So...using evidence like that...”

“Y-You guys, I’m not a killer! I wouldn’t do something like this!” I demand.

“Is that the best you have?” Joshua asks. “Maybe he really is the killer...Betty was his neighbor, it would have been easy pickings.”

I could feel the distrust and unease swirling through the air around me. Everyone was scared and confused and just wanted an answer. Now that they’ve been provided one, they won’t so easily let it go. But...why did it have to be me..?

“Save your accusations for the trial,” Cassidy says. “It’s too early to be making any deductions like this. This isn’t some game, this is our lives on the line. I’m not letting you all chance mine based on guesses and assumptions.” She heads for the door. “I’m going to go investigate. I suggest you all do the same.”

Investigate...that’s right. There are probably clues around, right? Something I can use to prove my innocence. Someone else here was the true killer and wanted me to take the fall. I can’t let them get away with it. I have to prove to everyone who it is!

I could feel glaring eyes lingering on me as people begin to leave and look around like they were told. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I was the only one left in the room. This was going to be harder than I thought...

I look down at the Monofile in my hand. At least we had this. It was a pretty good starting point.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Monofile #1**

_ Monofile #1 _

_ The victim of this case is Betty Fritz, the Ultimate Track Star. Betty was found in her room with multiple stab wounds and slashes on her body, primarily covering her arms and torso. There is also a wound on her forehead. The estimated time of death is 10:10 pm. Betty’s body was discovered by Wayne, Nancy, and Cassidy. _

The next obvious place to check would be Betty’s room. There were probably tons of clues in there. I head off, trying to steady my step as I do.

Getting to Betty’s room, I see quite a few people there. Cassidy was poking around as she investigated. Nancy and Joshua were both here as well, standing by the bathroom door. Were they guarding it?

I glance around the room. It was as clean and untouched as when we first came here. In fact...isn’t that pretty weird? Betty was murdered here, but there was no sign of a struggle in the room at all.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: State of Betty’s Room**

_ Betty’s room is clean and well put together despite the murder occurring here. _

I head to the bathroom, wanting to look around inside, but Joshua and Nancy get in my way.

“Sorry, you can’t come in here,” Joshua says. “Cassidy said to guard the body. So I’m definitely not letting the murderer in.”

I frown. “But I’m not--”

“That doesn’t mean barring others from investigating,” Cassidy says from her position in the room. “Let him in.”

Joshua huffs and moves. “Whatever...I just don’t feel like looking at a corpse, only reason I agreed to this stupid job...”

I move into the bathroom. The stench of death was strong and it made my stomach churn, but I had to power through this. I had to prove I was innocent for everyone’s sake.

I look at the mirror. Someone had shattered in, leaving on a few pieces of glass clinging to the frame. The rest of the glass filled the sink or had landed on the floor. There was some blood on the glass, but I noticed one of the larger pieces had more blood on it than the rest. A lot more blood

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Broken Mirror**

_ Someone shattered Betty’s bathroom mirror. _

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Bloody Glass**

_ A large piece of glass is soaked in blood. _

I look down at Betty’s corpse. I felt sick just thinking about it. That was my friend and now she’s just been relegated to...victim. Evidence. Corpse. But I was going to help her the only way I could now; by finding her killer and avenging her.

Squatting down, I decided to take a close look. Her body seems to be in the condition the Monofile said it was. Her wounds were mostly deep stabs and long gashes. What could have caused a wound like that?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Wounds**

_ Most of Betty’s wounds are long gashes and deep stabs. _

My sword was still sticking out of her, the blade now slick with blood. I notice something smeared on the handle, though. Was that...makeup? It looks like concealer.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Saber**

_ Someone stole my saber this morning. It’s now jammed into Betty’s stomach. _

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Smear**

_ Someone smeared concealer onto the handle of my saber. _

Looking over the body again, I notice something else. Betty’s hand was clenched like she had been holding onto something. There was something in it, but I can’t get a good look like this. I had no choice, but I was doing this for everyone’s sake. I grab her hand gently and look at it. Her body was cold and stiff and just touching it made me shiver, but now I could see more clearly. There was skin and blood under Betty’s nails. Where did that come from?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Fingernails**

_ Under Betty’s nails are someone’s skin and blood. _

It seemed like that was all there was to see in the room. I make my way out of the bathroom, glad to no longer have to look at Betty’s condition.

Cassidy looks at me as I left the bathroom. “Are you finished investigating in there?”

I nod weakly. “Uh...yeah, I guess so.”

“You should make sure to explore the entire school. And you should talk to the others, too. They might have some insight.”

“Oh...yeah, sure. Thanks, Cass...” She glares at me. “...idy.”

I walk over to her while she went through Betty’s drawers. Was she investigating or looting right now? “Well, what about you? Anything helpful to say?”

Cassidy sighs. “I only know what I’ve been able to find. Investigate and you’ll have the same information I do.”

I nod softly. “Uh...yeah, alright.” I guess that was fair. “...hey, you don’t think I did it, do you?”

“I’ll believe what the evidence tells me. So let me investigate.”

I let out a soft sigh. I guess that was better than nothing. “Alright, I’ll leave you to it. Good luck, Cassidy.”

I head out of the room. I grab the doorknob again and once again, it comes off in my hand. That was...definitely odd. The doorknob had some screws used to hold it in, but they were all missing at the moment. Someone had to have taken them off.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Betty’s Doorknob**

_ The doorknob on Betty’s bedroom door has been completely unscrewed and comes off instantly. _

I decide to head to my room next. My saber was stolen right out from under me, so maybe there was a clue there. I open the door and notice something wrong immediately. I jiggle the doorknob and sure enough, it’s loose. I noticed there was a stray screw lying just under my door. Did someone tamper with it..? I must not have noticed when I woke up today.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: My Doorknob**

_ The doorknob to my bedroom is loose. One of the screws was under my door. _

My room didn’t seem any different than what I saw this morning. My saber is missing, but otherwise, nothing seems out of place. The killer and the thief must be the same person.

Heading out of my room, I decided to go look around the areas that guy’s night and girl’s night took place in. I’d go to the cafeteria first since I’d definitely notice if anything there was off.

The cafeteria seemed unchanged, but in the kitchen, I noticed someone had left a used teacup sitting in the sink. A teapot was on the stove, now filled with cold tea. Who left that there?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Teaset**

_ A teacup has been left in the sink. Some cold tea sits in a teapot on the stove. _

I noticed Jeremiah was quietly poking around the room. I walk over to him. “Hey there, Jeremy.”

Jeremiah looks at me, his eyes steely. “Yeah? What do you want?”

“Ah...I just wanted to ask if you’ve seen or heard anything that could be helpful? Maybe something happened during the guy’s night?”

Jeremiah sighs. “...no, I don’t think so. I remember you guys mentioned Tyler and Perry were the first to show up around the time the night started. Joshua came next a few minutes later and then I was here after that. We stayed for about an hour and you four played a game that I judged. I left half an hour before nighttime. I was told that Joshua and Tyler left as well and Perry was last. Anything about that strike you as odd?”

I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so. Sounds right to me. Thanks anyway.” At the very least, it’s good to have all those events laid out like that.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Guy’s Night Timeline**

_ Guys night started with Perry and Tyler showing up together, followed by Joshua ten minutes later and Jeremiah a full half hour later. We played a game for an hour that Jeremiah judged until he had decided to leave half an hour before nighttime started. Joshua and Tyler left ten minutes after that and Perry left soon after. _

I make my way out of the room and head to the library, where the girls had been last night. The only thing off about that room was the fact that someone had left a barely-touched teacup on one of the tables. It’s cold now.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Teacup**

_ Someone left a filled teacup in the library. It’s gone cold. _

I notice Jess was also in the room, so I walk over to her. “Hey Jess, how are you holding up?”

When Jess looked at me, I could immediately sense the distrust in her eyes. She puts on a smile. “As well as I can be...did you need anything?”

“I was wondering if you could let me know how the girl’s night went. It could be important, after all.”

“Oh, right. Well, only six of us showed up. Francesca, Betty, Rita, Sasha, Cassidy, and myself. They all appeared around the same time, our starting time. Giffany and Nancy never came, though. We all hung out for about an hour and a half, I think. Sasha was the first to leave, saying she was tired. Betty left soon after that because she wanted to be ready for her exercise meetup with you and Nancy. Tyler came in ten minutes later, so him and Rita started talking until they left soon after. That left Cassidy, Francince, and I. I decided to go make tea for the three of them, where I found Patrick in the kitchen getting something to eat. We talked while I made tea for about five minutes, but by the time I got back to the library, Cassidy had left. Francesca and I enjoyed some tea together. She did end up asking for some sugar, so I had to go fetch some real quick. Once I got back, I recall Betty had been drinking a bunch of the tea I made and went past me. She had such a loud yawn, too, and talked about waking herself up back in her room real quick. I got really tired around the time the nighttime announcement played, so I went to bed. Ah, but I made sure to put my cup and the teapot back in the kitchen just before Mononuki locked it up!”

“Alright, thanks, Jess. I’ll keep all of that in mind.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Girl’s Night Timeline**

_ Francesca, Betty, Rita, Sasha, Cassidy, and Jess all appeared around the same time, the girl’s night starting time. Giffany and Nancy never came, though. They all hung out for about an hour and a half, I think. Sasha was the first to leave, saying she was tired. Betty left soon after that because she wanted to be ready for her exercise meetup with Wayne and Nancy. Tyler came in ten minutes later, so him and Rita started talking until they left soon after. That left Cassidy, Francince, and Jess. Jess decided to go make tea for the three of them, where she found Patrick in the kitchen getting something to eat. They talked while she made tea for about five minutes, but by the time she got back to the library, Cassidy had left. Francesca and Jess enjoyed some tea together, even though Jess had to go back and get some sugar for Francesca. When Jess got back, Betty had drank a bunch of the tea and left yawning, mentioning that she wanted to go ‘wake herself up’. Jess got really tired around the time the nighttime announcement played, so she went to bed. She had put away the teapot and her cup before the kitchen was closed. _

“Thanks, Jess. It’ll be helpful to keep that kind of thing in mind.”

The babysitter smiles. “You’re welcome, Wayne. Anything I can do to help.”

I decide to head out of the library, but on my way, I’m stopped by Tyler. The carpenter looked frazzled.

“H-Hey, Wayne, you said your saber got stolen this morning, right? I think someone stole from me, too!”

“Huh? What? What’s missing, Tyler?”

Tyler gestures to an empty pocket of his toolbelt. “My screwdriver! I can’t find it anywhere in my room, but I know I had it during guy’s night!”

“Alright, I’ll help you look around for it, okay? I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.”

Tyler lets out a soft sigh, looking calmer already. “Thanks, Wayne...”

I start scouring the school in search of Tyler’s screwdriver, but I turn up totally empty. While going through the infirmary, however, I did notice that someone seemed to have been in there recently. One of the pill bottles was disturbed, facing the wrong direction while all the other bottles were organized.

Picking it up, I look it over and notice that it was a sleeping aid. It seems like someone used it recently since it’s the only bottle that seemed out of place. What could that mean?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Missing Screwdriver**

_ Tyler’s screwdriver has been missing since at least the guy’s night. It’s no where around the school. _

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Pill Bottle**

_ Someone has recently used a sleeping aid found in the infirmary. _

“Sorry, Tyler, but I couldn’t find it anywhere,” I tell the carpenter after my search.

He sighs deeply and his shoulders slump. “Alright...thanks, Wayne. I hope it turns up soon...”

It seems like we still had some time left before the trial began, so maybe this would be a good time to talk to some people. I manage to find Patrick lingering in the entrance hall.

“Hey, Patrick. Mind if we talk for a second?”

“I do,” the cosplayer says. “...but go on.”

“Jess told me you were in the kitchen last night, so I was wondering if you might have seen anything?”

Patrick sighs. “Of course she did...I guess I’ll just tell you what I was up to. I still didn’t feel like going to your guy’s night, so I was waiting until you had all left before heading in to get a snack before bed. I saw Tyler and Rita head through the lobby, so I figured that meant I could go to the cafeteria safely. I thought I was home free, but Jess came in to make some tea and talk to me. She didn’t stay long. After I had my food, I ate in there until the nighttime announcement played. I recall Jess came in at some point while I was eating to get something, but I didn’t really want to talk to her anymore, so I said nothing. After that, I decided to linger in the lobby for a bit. I remember Betty running past me. Jess and Francesca had gone past me soon after. Then I recalled seeing you and Nancy heading to bed a little while after the announcement played. Maybe twenty minutes later. I decided to go to bed after that. That’s all I saw.”

“Alright. Thanks, Patrick.” So he was around to watch some people go to bed. He can also corroborate with Jess’s story. That’s good to know.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Patrick’s Account**

_ Patrick still didn’t feel like going to guy’s night, so he was waiting until we had all left before heading in to get a snack before bed. When he saw Tyler and Rita go past him in the lobby, he decided it was okay to enter the cafeteria. He thought he was home free, but Jess came in to make some tea and talk to him. She didn’t stay long. After Patrick had his food, he ate in there until the nighttime announcement played. Jess did come back before then to get something, but he didn’t want to talk to her anymore and said nothing. After that, he decided to linger in the lobby for a bit. Patrick remembers Betty running past, then Jess and Francesca had gone past soon after. Then he recalled seeing Wayne and Nancy heading to bed a little while after the announcement played. Maybe twenty minutes later. He decided to go to bed after that. _

I leave Patrick alone after that. I was contemplating where I would go next when the screens in the school all turn on.

“Alright, everyone, I’m back from my nap so...it’s time for the trial. Head to the elevator in the stairwell, please...”

With that announcement, I headed to the stairwell as instructed. The elevator was open when I got there, so I went inside. I...hope I gathered enough. For everyone’s sake, I really did.

The others all gathered in the elevator and the doors shut. It moves without anyone pressing a button, going down at a steady pace.

I could feel the distrust swirling in the air, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me. I had to do this. I had to prove my innocence. I was going to find the true killer of this case and save everyone! I won’t let anybody else get hurt by this killer!

“Wayne,” Cassidy says, leaning in close to speak to me privately. “If you’re truly not the killer, then you need to be ready to make your case and defend it on your life.”

“...I know...” I say softly. “I’m ready.”

And I knew that was true. I was ready! I was going to win this trial for everyone! The elevator finally comes to a stop and the doors open. The first class trial is about to begin!


	8. Trial 1 Truth Bullets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is the list of evidence gathered during the first trial.

Truth Bullets

**Truth Bullet: Monofile #1**

_ Monofile #1 _

_ The victim of this case is Betty Fritz, the Ultimate Track Star. Betty was found in her room with multiple stab wounds and slashes on her body, primarily covering her arms and torso. There is also a wound on her forehead. The estimated time of death is 10:10 pm. Betty’s body was discovered by Wayne, Nancy, and Cassidy. _

**Truth Bullet: State of Betty’s Room**

_ Betty’s room is clean and well put together despite the murder occurring here. _

**Truth Bullet: Broken Mirror**

_ Someone shattered Betty’s bathroom mirror. _

**Truth Bullet: Bloody Glass**

_ A large piece of glass is soaked in blood. _

**Truth Bullet: Wounds**

_ Most of Betty’s wounds are long gashes and deep stabs. _

**Truth Bullet: Saber**

_ Someone stole my saber this morning. It’s now jammed into Betty’s stomach. _

**Truth Bullet: Smear**

_ Someone smeared concealer onto the handle of my saber. _

**Truth Bullet: Fingernails**

_ Under Betty’s nails are someone’s skin and blood. _

**Truth Bullet: Betty’s Doorknob**

_ The doorknob on Betty’s bedroom door has been completely unscrewed and comes off instantly. _

**Truth Bullet: My Doorknob**

_ The doorknob to my bedroom is loose. One of the screws was under my door. _

**Truth Bullet: Teaset**

_ A teacup has been left in the sink. Some cold tea sits in a teapot on the stove. _

**Truth Bullet: Guy’s Night Timeline**

_ Guys night started with Perry and Tyler showing up together, followed by Joshua ten minutes later and Jeremiah a full half hour later. We played a game for an hour that Jeremiah judged until he had decided to leave half an hour before nighttime started. Joshua and Tyler left ten minutes after that and Perry left soon after. _

**Truth Bullet: Teacup**

_ Someone left a filled teacup in the library. It’s gone cold. _

**Truth Bullet: Girl’s Night Timeline**

_ Francesca, Betty, Rita, Sasha, Cassidy, and Jess all appeared around the same time, the girl’s night starting time. Giffany and Nancy never came, though. They all hung out for about an hour and a half, I think. Sasha was the first to leave, saying she was tired. Betty left soon after that because she wanted to be ready for her exercise meetup with Wayne and Nancy. Tyler came in ten minutes later, so him and Rita started talking until they left soon after. That left Cassidy, Francince, and Jess. Jess decided to go make tea for the three of them, where she found Patrick in the kitchen getting something to eat. They talked while she made tea for about five minutes, but by the time she got back to the library, Cassidy had left. Francesca and Jess enjoyed some tea together, even though Jess had to go back and get some sugar for Francesca. When Jess got back, Betty had drank a bunch of the tea and left yawning, mentioning that she wanted to go ‘wake herself up’. Jess got really tired around the time the nighttime announcement played, so she went to bed. _

**Truth Bullet: Missing Screwdriver**

_ Tyler’s screwdriver has been missing since after the guy's night. It’s no where around the school. _

**Truth Bullet: Pill Bottle**

_ Someone has recently used a sleeping aid found in the infirmary. _

**Truth Bullet: Patrick’s Account**

_ Patrick still didn’t feel like going to guy’s night, so he was waiting until we had all left before heading in to get a snack before bed. When he saw Tyler and Rita go past him in the lobby, he decided it was okay to enter the cafeteria. He thought he was home free, but Jess came in to make some tea and talk to him. She didn’t stay long. After Patrick had his food, he ate in there until the nighttime announcement played. Jess did come back before then to get something, but he didn’t want to talk to her anymore and said nothing. After that, he decided to linger in the lobby for a bit. Patrick remembers Betty running past, then Jess and Francesca had gone past me soon after. Then he recalled seeing Wayne and Nancy heading to bed a little while after the announcement played. Maybe twenty minutes later. He decided to go to bed after that. _


	9. Chapter 1: Hope Is Just Another Name for Despair - Deadly Life Trial Part I

Everyone steps out of the elevator as soon as we were able and we were met with the trial room. The room was fairly large and ornate like the school above us. It had marble floors and pillars that lined the room. Old portraits covered the walls and a gorgeous chandelier hung from the ceiling above us. Someone had perched a throne on the other end of the room and Mononuki was currently curled up in it. In the center of the room was the main attraction.

Sixteen wooden podiums have been set up, forming a circle in the center of the room. Each one had one of our names engraved onto it, letting us take our place. The current order of the room, clockwise, was me, Francesa, Nancy, Patrick, Tyler, Rita, Rick, Cassidy, Perry, Harold, Joshua, Jess, Sasha, Jeremiah, Betty, and Giffany. But the oddest thing was Betty’s podium.

In Betty’s place was a portrait which stood about as tall as her. Her smiling face was in black and white and someone painted a star over it in something that looked like blood. It was probably just paint, though.

“So why the hell is that there?” Nancy asks, gesturing to the portrait.

Mononuki perks up a little. “Eh..? Oh, yeah...well...we didn’t want Betty to be left out. Even if she’s dead. So we figured we’d have her join in...in spirit.”

“That’s entirely unnecessary...” Perry says with disdain.

“Wh-Why do I have to stand next to it..?” Giffany whimpers. “It’s scaring me...”

“What are we even supposed to do..?” Rita asks softly. “I don’t think normal court trials are supposed to work like this.”

“We don’t have to do anything!” Francesca demands. “Remember? The killer is Wayne! Let’s just vote for him now and get out of here!”

“Don’t you dare,” Cassidy replies coldly. “We are not voting until we’ve discussed everything.”

“Ugh, but he’s the most obvious suspect,” Nancy says. “I’m not great with all this thinkin’ crap. Let’s just go with our guts!”

I really didn’t like that line of reasoning. “You guys, I’m not the killer!” I demand.

“If you’re so certain that he’s the killer, then surely you can tell us how he commited the crime?” Harold asks. “Well, Francesca?”

“Of course!” the actress says. “He uh...well, he...he went into her room and stabbed her! Duh!”

“...I can’t believe a single person is dumb enough to listen to her.” Harold sighs, adjusting his glasses.

“The trial is simple enough,” Jeremiah says. “We’ll discuss all the evidence we’ve gathered to solve this. If we unravel the mystery, then we’ll unravel the killer.”

“Spoken like a true wordsmith!” Perry says cheerfully. “Then let’s begin the discussion!”

“What do we even start with?” Jess asks. “What seems like a good place?”

“We’re starting with the body,” Cassidy says. Francesca opens her mouth to say something. “ _And we’re not going to accuse anyone while we do it_ ,” she adds. Francesca closes her mouth tightly.

This was it, then. We’re officially beginning the trial. I had to be ready to step in and help in case anything goes wrong. I won’t let anyone down!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Well, we know that Betty was **killed in her room** ,” Patrick says.

“And she was murdered **last night** , too,” Jess adds.

“So we have a time and a place...” Joshua ponders with his arms crossed. “What about a how?”

“What about **her wounds**?” Giffany asks softly. “Do those tell us anything..?”

“We know what the weapon is!” Francesca demands.

“Oh, yeah... **Wayne’s saber** , right?” Rick asks.

My saber..? Is that really what was used to kill Betty? No, there’s another answer!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Wounds**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

Rick yelps and tugs on his hoodie strings. “Wh-What?! What did I do?!”

“My saber can’t possibly be the weapon!” I declare.

“Uh...why not?” Rita asks hesitantly.

“Look at Betty’s wounds. They’re large gashes and deep stabs. There’s no way my saber could make a wound like that!”

“I’ll take on the spotlight!” Francesca demands suddenly.

“Huh? Francesca, what are you doing?” I ask.

“You really want to say your saber isn’t that weapon? Don’t be stupid! It’s so clearly the weapon!” she demands.

“Francesca, why would I use my saber as a weapon? All that does is make me suspicious!”

“We didn’t know about the trial clause beforehand! So being suspicious isn’t something to be worried about then!”

Crap, she does have a point. But I know she’s wrong about the murder weapon. I have to put a stop to this before she derails the entire trial!

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“The weapon has to be your saber! It makes sense!”_ /

/ _“It’s a sword! Swords leave stabs and gashes all the time!”_ /

/ _“We even found it in Betty’s stomach. So of course it was used_ **_to kill her_ ** _!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Bloody Glass**

“That’s not true,” I interject. “The saber could just as easily be a decoy. It’s not made to be a weapon, it can’t hurt anyone like that. Something else had to be used to kill her.”

[ADVANCE]

/ _“How do we know you’re telling the truth? Maybe it’s the perfect weapon and you’re just lying to us!”_ /

/ _“Besides, you’re just pulling that out of your ass! Another weapon? Please!”_ /

/ _“There were_ **_no other weapons there!_ ** _All we saw was your saber! That’s all the proof we need!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Bloody Glass**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I declare.

“H-Huh?! What are you saying?! But there weren’t any other weapons!” Francesca demands with a stomp of her foot.

“Check again, Fran. If we look at the glass shards found in Betty’s sink, one of the bigger pieces was soaked in blood. I think that would have made the perfect weapon!”

“Hey, he’s right!” Tyler says. “I remember the glass, too. Something like that would perfectly fit Betty’s wounds.”

“I’ve done some research on fencing for a book I wrote once,” Jeremiah says. “And I can back up Wayne’s claim. Fencing sabers aren’t made to be weapons. In fact, they have dulled points. You couldn’t create wounds like Betty’s with something like that.”

“If Wayne is the killer, why would he use his own saber if it’s not even a weapon..?” Giffany asks softly. “Even not knowing about the trial thing...it...doesn’t really make sense.”

“Well, who else could get their hands on it?” Nancy asks. “Ya had it in your room, didn’t ya?”

I rub the back of my head. “Well, yeah, but...”

“Then it’s still just you who could get it!”

“That’s another point to cover,” Cassidy says. “How would the killer get into people’s bedrooms without their keys or permission?”

Cassidy was right. We were going to have to go over that possibility if we were going to get anywhere.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“The killer could have just **knocked on Betty’s door** ,” Giffany says. “She always seemed super nice, so maybe she just let them in because they asked...”

“That would be an easy way for the killer to sneak through!” Perry says. “How horribly dastardly!”

“ _Betty was probably getting ready for bed_ ,” Sasha writes. “ _So she_ **_was in her room_ ** _when the killer attacked._ ”

“So then all the killer would have to do is knock...” Jeremiah starts. “...and **Betty let them in**.”

Is that really what happened..? Betty just let them in? But that doesn’t make any sense.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: State of Betty’s Room**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

Jeremiah huffs and pushes his glasses up his nose. “What are you going on about..?”

“Betty couldn’t have let the killer into her room. It doesn’t make any sense when you consider how her room actually looked.”

“There was nothing wrong with the room itself,” Harold recalls.

“Exactly. If Betty had let the killer in and was attacked, we should have seen signs of a struggle. But her bedroom was spotless. Everything was contained in her bathroom.”

“So that means the killer would have to sneak in,” Cassidy explains. “Betty wasn’t aware anyone had come in.”

“Can you even prove that?” Joshua asks. “If you’re going to say something like that, back it up!”

Can we prove that someone snuck up on Betty to kill her? There had to be something. Maybe it was...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Broken Mirror

>Wounds

>Saber

... _ >Broken Mirror _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Betty’s broken mirror proves it!”

“And how exactly does it do that?” Joshua retorts.

“If we pair up the fact that the mirror is broken with Betty’s wounds, we have a clear connection!”

“But...weren’t all of her wounds stabs and slashes?” Giffany asks hesitantly.

Giffany is missing something, I have to show her the answer!

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Monofile #1

>Wounds

>Saber

... _ >Monofile #1 _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “All but one. On her forehead, there’s a nasty wound. The Monofile says so. If we assume the killer snuck in, that would mean they could attack by slamming her head into her mirror using the element of surprise.”

“That...makes sense,” Jeremiah says. “And it clears up a few questions. But now we’re left with a bigger one. How did the killer get into Betty’s room in the first place?”

We were going to have to discuss the way the killer was capable of breaking into Betty’s room. I know the answer is there, we just have to find it.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“So we’ve written out the possibility of someone **being let in** ,” Harold says. “Which means the killer would have to **break in**.”

“But Betty totally would have heard someone breaking in!” Nancy demands. “She wasn’t deaf!”

Sasha clears her throat. Nancy looks away awkwardly. “Not that it’s a bad thing if she was...” she adds on softly.

“The killer would just have to **sneak in** ,” Patrick says. “If sound is the issue, then that’s what we’re left with.”

One of these ideas has to be the correct one. And I think I know which it is!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Betty’s Doorknob**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I shout out.

“Naturally,” Patrick retorts. “There’s nothing wrong with what I said.”

“Exactly. In fact, it has to be our answer. All we need to do is look at Betty’s doorknob.”

“Oh yeah!” Rick exclaims. “I remember now! Someone had taken off Betty’s doorknob, right? It was completely unscrewed!”

“So...someone took off Betty’s doorknob and snuck into her room?” Nancy asks. “It’d just be easier to knock the damn thing off! How do we know they didn’t just do that?!”

“Mm...or they could have picked the lock and tried to hide it later...” Rick murmurs.

“Oh, are we just yelling out idea?” Rita asks. “I bet it could just be some rusty screws and it came off on it’s own!”

“Hey, buzz off, I’m the one with the ideas now!” Nancy demands.

And it looks like we’re being sidetracked. If the others are having doubts, I have to be ready to snuff them out.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“The killer could have done **all kinds of things** to take off that doorknob!” Nancy demands

“I’m pretty sure there is **only one** that actually happened...” Harold replies blandly.

“Mind your own business, egghead!” the boxer shouts. “I told ya, I’m the one with ideas right now!”

“Is...Is this **really necessary**..?” Giffany asks softly. “I mean...I think the way the doorknob was removed is...pretty obvious...”

“You don’t know that!” Francesca demands. “Nancy might have a point!”

“Uwaaah!” Giffany puts up her arms defensively, looking ready to burst into tears. “I-I’m sorryyyyyy!”

“You better be! It makes sense the doorknob could have been **broken off**!”

Nancy is starting to get others on her side. I know how the doorknob was removed, I have to stop this now!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: My Doorknob**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I declare.

“What?!” Francesca demands. “Stop saying that!”

“But it’s true,” I retort. “The doorknob had to be unscrewed and I can prove it! My own doorknob is evidence!”

‘ _Your doorknob seemed fine to me_ ,’ Sasha writes.

“But it wasn’t. My doorknob was loose and one of the screws was on the floor. That means someone broke into my room the same way they broke into Betty’s! It wouldn’t make sense if both rooms were broken into in two different ways!”

“Not to mention,” Cassidy adds, “this would absolve you of any remaining suspicion. We now have proper evidence that someone entered Wayne’s room without his knowledge and had ample opportunity to steal his sword and plant it somewhere else.”

“He...He could have just done that to make it seem like he wasn’t the killer!” Francesca demands. At this point, she’s just being unnecessarily stubborn.

“...actually...” Nancy finally pipes up. “I think I was with Wayne around the time of the murder...so it couldn’t really be him...”

“You decide to mention that _only now_?” Harold asks.

“Lay off! I was in shock from my fuckin’ friend bein’ dead!”

“Well, that ultimately proves it couldn’t have possibly been Wayne,” Patrick says. “So we can drop that line of reasoning now.”

“Then you need to apologize to Wayne right now, Franny!” Jess scolds. “Your wrongful allegations must have caused him so much strife!”

“Ugh...” Francesca crosses her arms and looks away from me. Jess kept a stern glare that made Francesca begin to crack. “... _fine, I’m sorry for accusing you of murder!_ ”

The babysitter smiles warmly. “Much better.”

“If Wayne isn’t a suspect anymore, then we have a new one to focus on,” Jeremiah says.

“Woah, seriously?” Tyler asks. “But who is it?”

A new suspect...I think I know who Jeremiah is referring to. There’s one person that would have been able to pull off breaking into someone’s room the way we all discussed.

[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Winters

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

... _ >Tyler Oak _

“It has to be you!” I cry out, pointing an accusing finger at Tyler.

“...h-huh..?” His face pales. “Me..?”


	10. Chapter 1: Hope Is Just Another Name for Despair - Deadly Life Trail II

“Hey, what do you think you’re saying?!” Rita demands. “Tyler can’t possibly be the culprit!”

“Were you with him all night?” Patrick asks. “Unless you can account for him at every second of the night, you can’t make that claim.”

“Well...” Rita looks away, frustrated. “We said goodnight and went to our own rooms before the nighttime announcement played...but that doesn’t mean he’s the killer!”

“Y-Yeah! My screwdriver has been missing since last night, anyway!” Tyler says. “So it absolutely can’t be me!”

“You’re just making that up because Wayne said his saber was missing!” Francesca demands. “Don’t think I’m not onto you! Try a better excuse!”

“B-But I’m telling the truth!”

“If you’re telling the truth, then the next most obvious suspect would be the girlfriend,” Jeremiah replies.

“Wh--me?!” Rita demands, exasperated. “I wouldn’t do that to Tyler! How could you even say that?!”

“But you have plenty of time and opportunity to steal his screwdriver.”

“Well...Well what about Patrick?!” she says. “He was sitting in the lobby when we went to bed! He could have easily stolen the screwdriver from us as we went by!”

Patrick’s eyes narrow. “...what?”

“There is some merit to that!” Perry says. “It would have been quite easy for you to simply swipe the tool from our dear carpenter right out from under his nose!”

“...don’t be stupid.”

“Come on, it’s not me, guys! I would never do something like this!” Tyler demands.

“I couldn’t steal from Tyler like that, I’d never forgive myself! It’s not me!” Rita declares.

“You’re all insane. There’s no way I could have stolen it from the two of them,” Patrick says.

“ ** _I’m not the killer!_ **” all three demand at once.

This discussion is starting to get out of hand. Everyone is beginning to talk and yell over each other and the conversation is fracturing. It’s going to be a lot harder to pick out what’s going on; I need to be able to focus and listen to everything being said. Someone is bound to say something I can respond to.

[FRACTURED DEBATE]

“Tyler is clearly the **most obvious choice!** ” Francesca demands.

“Please, stop accusing me, I **didn’t do anything!** ” Tyler wails.

“But it does make the most sense...” Giffany whimpers.

...

“Rita has **plenty of chances** to steal Tyler’s screwdriver,” Jeremiah says.

“Why would I do something that **could hurt Tyler**? He’ll die if I was the killer and win!” Rita demands.

“But we **didn’t know that** ,” the author retorts angrily.

...

“Who else could have **stolen the screwdriver?** ” Perry asks.

“ **Literally anyone Tyler saw that night** ,” Patrick growls.

“No way, **you and Rita** have the best chance!” Francesca demands.

I think I’m starting to understand what’s being said between the three groups. And there’s definitely something off!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Girl’s Night Timeline**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“H-Huh? What’s wrong?” Tyler asks. “I know I’m not the killer, though!”

“No, it’s what Francesca said,” I assure. “There was another chance for someone else to have stolen Tyler’s screwdriver.”

“Oh yeah, he went to the guy’s night, didn’t he?” Joshua asks. “So it was one of the guys!”

“B-But I definitely had my screwdriver during the guy’s night!” Tyler retorts.

“But that’s not the only place you were last night,” I say. “After you left, you visited the girls in the library so you could see Rita.”

“Oh yeah...so I guess any of them could have taken it, too.”

“Who was there at the time?” Nancy asks. “I didn’t go last night.”

“That would be Jessica, Francesca, Rita, and myself,” Cassidy says, flipping through her notepad. “And with the claim that the two of them passed by Patrick, that leaves us with five potential suspects.”

“Wow, you’re even letting us suspect you,” Joshua says. “Pretty ballsy.”

“So we still have a gaggle of suspects,” Jeremiah says. “Where do we go from here?”

“ _Maybe we can try to narrow it down. I say we keep talking, we’ll probably get somewhere,_ ” Sasha writes.

“I suppose we don’t have any other plans...” Harold says with a sigh.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“What are we even going to talk about?” Rita asks. “There’s **way too many suspects**.”

“How about we focus on evidence, hm?” Cassidy asks.

“Is there even something we **haven’t talked about**?” Francesca asks.

“Um...well, uh...maybe the um...” Giffany never gets around to finishing her sentence.

“How about **that thing left out**? The one in the kitchen?” Joshua asks. “That’s certainly something to talk about. I don’t remember it being there before.”

I wish he wasn’t so vague, but a good point was just made. Time to draw attention to it!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Teaset**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I declare.

“Ha, I knew it!” Joshua boasts, puffing out his chest.

“There was a teapot in the kitchen with cold tea and a cup sitting in the sink,” I say. “Maybe it’s best if we went over its origins.”

“Oh, that’s easy!” Jess chirps. “I made Francesca and I some tea last night and we drank it before bed.”

“Just the two of you? So all of the other girls had gone to bed by then?” Harold asks.

“Well, Cassidy was still around when I had initially left, but when I got back, it was just Francesca and I...oh, and Betty came in around the end!”

“I appreciated the offer,” Cassidy explains. “But I was ready to retire for the night.”

“Francesca scared you away, eh?” Nancy asks, a sleazy grin on her face. “Standing around her would do that to anyone.”

“I am LOVELY to be around, I’ll have you know!” Francesca demands angrily. “Meanwhile, who wants to hang out with a smelly gorilla like you?!”

“Gorilla, huh?” Nancy’s face turns dark. “How about you come over here and say that to my _fists_ , pretty girl?!”

“...wait, you saw the victim that night?” Jeremiah asks.

Jess blinks. “Oh, uh...yeah, I guess I did.”

“Well? Did you see anything of use?”

“She drank a couple cups of tea and said something about going to her room a minute or two before the nighttime announcement. I...I’m sorry, if I had known what would happen...”

“You didn’t have any way to know, dear maiden! Please, there is no need to create such strife for yourself!” Perry assures with a warm smile.

“So...we know that Francesca and Jess were the last two to leave the library,” Harold says. “But is that really important? We don’t know who else was walking around that night.”

He has a point. People were moving around last night, but do we have any way to prove who were the last people around?

[MAKE A SELECTION]

> Sasha, Francesca, Betty, Jess, Rita, Cassidy

> Jeremiah, Wayne, Tyler, Joshua, Perry

> Jess, Francesca, Wayne, Nancy, Patrick

... _ > Jess, Francesca, Wayne, Nancy, Patrick _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “There were five people wandering around last night during or after to the nighttime announcement. Jess, Francesca, me, Nancy, and Patrick.”

“If Betty died ten minutes after the nighttime announcement, that means they would be the most suspicious...” Jeremiah says.

“Can you even prove that, though?” Francesca demands. “How do we know no one else was around?”

There is something that can prove it. I know there is.  
  
[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

P_____’s A____nt

Pat___’s Acc__nt

_Patrick’s Account_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I say. “Patrick’s account can back me up!”

“Hm..?” Patrick asks. He seemed disinterested again. Has he even been listening since he was accused?

“Patrick, you told me about the people who were heading back to their room close to the nighttime announcement last night, right? Who were they again?”

He sighs and crosses his arms. “The victim, Betty, left not long before it...but you’re asking about those who would make potential suspects, hm? I saw Jess head back first. Followed by Francesca. Then you and Nancy later, after the nighttime announcement played. And I finally went to bed when I thought everyone else was gone.”

“See? That’s all five of us accounted for near the time of the murder.”

“But you and Nancy went to bed after the murder took place, right?” Rick asks. “So...that means it’s not either of you. Oh, but...I guess that means Patrick could do it then sit in the lobby...”

“So that only leaves us with Francesca, Jess, and Patrick,” Tyler finishes.

“I know how to handle this one!” Nancy demands. “Let’s beat the answers out of ‘em! One of them is gonna fess up if they know what’s good for ‘em!”

“L-Let’s not!” Jess yelps.

Is there any way to further narrow down the choices? Does anything stand out at all?

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“C’mon, just give me five minutes with them each! I’ll **get answers from someone**!” Nancy demands, slamming her fists together.

“S-Seriously, stop trying to beat us up, please!” Jess cries out.

“There has to be **some way to narrow it further** ,” Harold ponders.

“Maybe we could just try **guessing?** ” Joshua suggests.

“That is such a horrible idea...” Tyler murmurs.

“Not if we get Rick to guess for us! **His luck** will be useful, riiiiight, Rick?”

“H-Huh? Me?! No way!” Rick whines, shrinking back into his hood. “I can’t take on responsibility like that! Stop trying to **cheat** the trial!”

“It’s not like there’s **anything left** to talk about, though,” Francesca says. “A one in three chance isn’t too bad!”

Nothing left to talk about..? No, that can’t be right. I know there’s still something left!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Pill Bottle**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I declare loudly.

“What?! Oh, come on!” Francesca stomps her foot again.

“There’s something else we can discuss that might shed some light. While looking for Tyler’s screwdriver, I noticed that someone had disturbed a pill bottle in the infirmary.”

‘ _How did you even see something like that?_ ’ Sasha asks.

“It is the power of the Ultimate Fencer at work!” Perry says with a massive smile. “Such pure attention to detail is something I would expect of a noble knight such as you, Wayne! Nothing can evade the watchful eye of a fencer!”

I felt my face heat up a little. “I-It’s not that big of a deal...um, anyway, about the pill bottle. When I decided to look it over, I saw that it was a sleeping aid. I think someone used it for something.”

“What would they use it for?” Giffany asks softly.

That...was a good question. I was going to have to think it over if I wanted to make sure I had the right answer.

[PSYCHE TAXI]

What kind of pills were being disturbed?

_ > Sleeping pills _

_ > Medication _

_ > Cyanide _

... _ > Sleeping Pills _

What were the pills for?

_ > To help someone sleep _

_ > To poison someone _

_ > To drug someone _

_... > To drug someone _

What was drugged?

_ > The snacks at guy’s night _

_ > Tea _

_ > The snacks at girl’s night _

_... > Tea _

“I’ve come to a conclusion!” I say. “Someone was using the medication to drug somebody!”

“H-Huh? Drug someone?” Jess asks. “Wait, but what was drugged?!”

“I think...it was the tea you made, Jess.”

Jess’s eyes widen and she puts a hand over her mouth. “No...”

“What the fuck?! That shit was drugged?!” Francesca demands. “What the fuck is wrong with you people?!”

“It’s true...but I know this takes out one of our suspects. I think it was impossible for Patrick to have drugged the tea!”

“Now hold it right there, mister!” Jess declares.

“Huh? Jess, what’s wrong?”

“I...I might be willing to believe that the tea was drugged, but there’s no way Patrick is absolved just yet! In fact, I think he’s the most likely suspect!”

I understand what she’s doing. She doesn’t want to suspect Francesca or be the suspect herself, but I know that Patrick couldn’t have done it. I just have to show her.

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“Patrick had the same opportunity Francesca or I could have had!”_ /

/ _“He was around the teapot while I was making the tea! He could have slipped it in at any point!”_ /

/ _“That means he’s as_ **_suspicious as the two of us!_ ** _”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Girl’s Night Timeline**

“That’s not quite true, Jess. In fact, you told me yourself how Patrick couldn’t have drugged your tea at all. Just let me explain!”

[ADVANCE]

/ _“What? How does what I said prove anything?!”_ /

/ _“Patrick is the most suspicious! Franny and I are friends, we wouldn’t do that to each other!”_ /

/ _“I_ **_never said anything_ ** _to prove otherwise! I’m sorry, but I know it must be Patrick!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Girl’s Night Timeline**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I cry out.

“N-No, I know what I’ve said! How did I prove Patrick was innocent?!” Jess asks, bewildered.

“When you were telling me about the girl’s night, you mentioned going to the kitchen to make tea and seeing Patrick there. You _also_ mentioned that you talked to him the entire time. If that’s true, then you would have seen him drug your tea!” I demand.

“I...I...” Jess seems to be at a complete loss for words. Soon, she lowers her head. “...I’m sorry, Patrick. Wayne...is right. I would have seen you drug the tea if you really did it...”

“Yeah. I know,” Patrick finally says. “But you left the room first, so you could have drugged it on your way back to the library. So you aren’t innocent yet.”

“What the fuck, you bitch?!” Francesca demands. “You fucking drugged me?! What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“I-I didn’t drug the tea, though!” Jess declares. “Francesca, please, you have to believe me! There...There must be another answer!”

“Yeah. That answer is Francesca drugged you,” Joshua sneers. “Did she ever have a chance to slip something into your drink while you two were alone?”

“Um, well...” Jess frowns softly. “Francesca...wanted sugar. So I had to go back to the kitchen to get some...but Betty was there when I got back! She would have seen it, right?!”

“She’s not in the position to corroborate that anymore,” Patrick warns. “It would be safer to work with the assumption she didn’t enter as soon as you left, if you hadn’t seen her on your way to the kitchen.”

“Why do that in the first place? What is there to gain from it?” Rita asks.

“Y-Yeah, it just...seems mean...” Tyler says softly.

“A perfect victim!” Joshua demands. “After all, if Betty’s all conked out on sleeping meds, she’d be ripe for the pickings!”

Is...that really it? The tea was drugged to get Betty? Or is there something else going on..? Who was the tea for?

[MAKE A SELECTION]

_ >The tea was for Betty. _

_ >The tea was for Jess, Cassidy, and Francesa _

_ >The tea was for girl’s night _

_... >The tea was for Jess, Cassidy, and Francesa _

“It has to be that!” I demand. “The tea was made after most of the girls had left, right? In fact, Cassidy, Francesa, and Jess were the only ones still there when Jess had left to make the tea, That means, it wasn’t possible for the tea to be meant for Betty!”

“Ah...well...” Joshua frowns and bites on the end of his thumb. “...then it was to get rid of a witness. The killer probably wanted to make sure the rest of the girls were gone, so the tea was drugged. Cassidy left, meaning it’s just Jess and Francesa that gets to drink it...at least until Betty barges in and makes things almost too perfect. Hell, maybe she wouldn’t have even been the victim if she hadn’t done that!”

“Ah, that makes a lot of sense..!” Giffany says.

“So, Jess could have drugged the tea on the way to the library. But Francesca could have grabbed the pills when Jess initially left and then drugged it when Jess left to get sugar.” Cassidy studies her notepad closely before snapping it shut. “So, which is the truth and which is the lie?”

“Of course I didn’t do it!” Francesca demands. “I’m the victim here!”

“Franny, you...you didn’t...” Jess demands softly. “There has to be another answer...”

Jess or Francesca. One of them drugged the other and Betty. And if that’s true, then that person would have to be our killer. And...And I know who it is. It hurts to admit it, but I know who is lying. The killer of this case is...

[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Winters

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

“The killer is...you!”


	11. Chapter 1: Hope Is Just Another Name for Despair - Deadly Life Trial Part III

I point my accusing finger at...

_ > Francesca Grande _

Francesca stares at me with wide eyes, shock written across her face. “H...Huh..?”

“Wayne, what are you saying?!” Jess demands. “That...That Franny really..?”

“I...I’m sorry, Jess. But this is the only thing that makes sense.”

“Makes...sense..?” Francesca asks softly.

“Jess, do you remember the last thing you told me in your account?”

“I...I said that I...” Jess’s brows furrow as she thinks back. “...I said I got really sleepy after drinking tea with Francesca...and I went to bed.”

“Isn’t that weird? To suddenly be hit with a drowsy spell after drinking tea that we’ve decided was spiked? And Francesca never mentioned being tired!”

“O-Of course I was tired!” Francesca swiftly interjects. “I went to bed right after Jess did! No one asked me how _I_ felt that night! I must have been drugged, too!”

“I don’t think that’s possible, Francesca,” I say.

“Grr...how dare you! I won’t stand for this! I know how I felt that night, don’t gaslight me!”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I was absolutely **exhausted** last night!” Francesca says, putting the back of her hand to her head. “I just had to go straight to bed.”

“I did watch her **walk past the lobby** last night,” Patrick ponders.

“But **Betty was killed in her room** ,” Cassidy interjects. “That means Francesca heading to the dorms is still suspicious activity.”

“ **Everyone** went to the damn dorms that night!” Francesca snaps. “It’s where we fucking sleep! Don’t be so stupid!”

“Franny, you...you didn’t...” Jess says softly. “Please...Please tell me you didn’t...”

“Of course I didn’t!” Francesca demands. “I was **drugged just like you!** I’m a victim, too!”

Is Francesca telling the truth? Was she really drugged? I want to believe it but...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Teacup**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“Ghhk--!” Francesca seems taken back by my sudden outburst. “Wh-What do you mean?”

“Who left the teacup in the library?” I ask. “Jess? Francesca?”

“I...I put mine in the sink...” Jess says softly. “The nighttime announcement played, but Mononuki gave me a couple seconds to leave things in the kitchen, so I didn’t have the time to dump out the tea in the pot. I left it on the stove...”

“Then that means Francesca didn’t touch her tea last night. Which means she couldn’t have possibly been drugged!”

“Th-That...” Francesca was struggling to come up with something to say. She looked enraged, ready to explode at a moment’s notice. Sweat beads down her face slowly. And then...

“ _WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_ ” Francesca burst into tears, sobbing loudly at her trial stand.

“H-Huh?” I was completely taken back by that. “F-Francesca, what are you doing?”

“How could yoooooou?! How could you accuse me of murdeeeeer?! _WAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_ That wasn’t REAL evidence! It doesn’t prove anythiiiiiing!” Hot tears spilled down her cheeks and she messily tried to clean them up with her hands. Her tears seemed so genuine but...

“Then...Then I’ll show you something that does prove it!” I demand.

“But...But...” Francesca sniffles. “But what if the culprit is one of you STINKY BOYS! You...You could have hidden in the kitchen...and drugged the tea when you had the chance...”

That...doesn’t even make sense. Even so, I’ll have to shoot down whatever insane arguments she comes up with if I want to get to the truth. I won’t let her slow me down!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“The culprit could be...could still be a guy from the **guy’s night**!” Francesca wails.

“How is that even possible?” Harold asks. “Didn’t we decide the three prime suspects were **Patrick, Jess, and you?** Where is this new key player coming from?”

“What if...What if they were hiding?” Francesca sniffles. “Like... **under the table** ...or **in the kitchen**...and slipped in a drug when they had the chance?”

“The...possibility is certainly there, dear stage performer,” Perry says. “But I don’t think...”

“You can’t **PROVE IIIIIIIT** ! Stop ACCUSING ME! _WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_ ”

I have to stop Francesca’s argument right now or we won’t be getting anywhere. Luckily, she’s grasping at straws, and I know just how to put an end to this!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Guy’s Night Timeline**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I declare.

Francesca sniffles, peeking at me from behind her hands with watery eyes. “Wr...Wrong..?”

“Nobody was left in the cafeteria last night,” I say. “All the guys there watched Jeremiah leave. Then we watched Tyler and Joshua leave together. I saw Perry leave, and then I left and met up with Nancy. Patrick entered the cafeteria as soon as it was empty. No guys were left in the room. No one was hiding!”

“No one...was there...” Francesca says, as if confirming it for herself. She sniffles again and then...

“...hahahaha!” Francesca starts laughing, putting her hands on her hips with a big grin on her face. “Okay, everyone, you got me! I didn’t know you were all Ultimate Pranksters. This was a really good one, too! Hahaha!”

“A...A prank..?” Jess says softly. “Franny, this...this isn’t a prank! This is real!”

“Come on, you can stop pulling my leg!” Francesca says. “So, where did you guys have Betty hide, huh? You can come out, superstar! I got your big prank all figured out!”

“Did she...hit her head before the trial..?” Jeremiah asks softly.

“Maybe she’s just crazy,” Harold says. “Could she even commit a murder in this sort of state?”

I don’t know what Francesca’s game was, but I know that I have to keep pursuing this. The others might start having doubts, but I won’t back down now! I have to show Francesca something that’ll break this act down and end this whole trial!

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Saber

>Teacup

>Smear

_... >Smear _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Francesca, I have something that you can’t possibly deny!”

“Oh Wayne, you’re always such a card!” she replies cheerfully. “What prank show is this being filmed for, huh? You can tell me!”

“Francesca...I want to check you for any injuries.”

“...huh? What?” Francesca’s act dropped for a moment as I spoke.

“On the handle of my saber, there was some makeup smeared onto it. Concealer, to be specific. So I want to see if you have any injuries.”

“What? Why are you so sure that she has injuries?” Rick asks. “Where did you even get that from?”

Where did I get that from? I need to be able to answer that question, or the others will start to doubt me.

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

Fi______l_

Fing___a_ls

_Fingernails_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I declare. “If we check Betty’s nails, we can see that there was blood and skin under them. I think it’s reasonable to assume she clawed at the killer as she was being attacked and managed to hurt them. If the concealer on my saber is anything to go by, I’d say they tried to hide the wound using makeup.”

“...you...you FUCKING BASTARD!” she suddenly yells. “SO THAT’S YOUR GAME, HUH?! YOU’RE TRYING TO GET ME TO UNDRESS IN FRONT OF EVERYONE! WELL, I WON’T DO IT! I WON’T BE YOUR LITTLE SLUT!”

“Woah, what?!” My entire face turns a deep red. “I did _not_ say that!”

“ _WAAAAAAH!_ How could you all treat me like this?! What did I ever do to any of yoooooou?!” She was sobbing again, just like before.

“Seriously, what’s happening?!” Rita demands. “Has she just gone crazy?!”

“Hahaha! Joke’s over everyone, time to go home!” Francesca cheers.

“I-I don’t know...she’s freaking me out..!” Tyler says.

“Well, I do declare!” Francesca fans her face. “This is a mighty fine mess we find ourselves in!”

“Is...Is she a southern belle now..?” Patrick asks, flabbergasted.

“Wayne, listen to me,” Cassidy says suddenly, drawing my attention. “Francesca is beginning to crack under the pressure. This is the time to put an end to this entire trial. Show her something she can’t possibly deny and put a stop to this!”

I nod. “R-Right.” I had to put an end to this. Whatever was going on with Francesca, it didn’t matter anymore. I had to prove to her and everyone else that she’s the true killer!

[PANIC TALK ACTION]

“ _What the fuck?! You think I’m the killer?! This is BULLSHIIIIIT!”_

“Francesca, you can’t hide from the truth anymore!”

“ _WAAAAAAAH! Why are you treating me like some dirty killer?! Stop picking on meeeee!”_

“Your acts can’t save you now!”

_“This is so funny, everyone! You all really got me! But the joke has to end at some point!”_

“I’ll stop this trial with this!”

**Missing Tyler’s Driver Screw**

**Tyler’s Missing Driver Screw**

**_Tyler’s Missing Screwdriver_ **

“THIS TRIAL END HERE!”

Francesca’s eyes widen. “Wh- ** _WHAAAAAAAAAT?!_ **”

**[BREAK!]**

“Francesca...you can’t run away from this one. I searched the entire school for Tyler’s screwdriver and I couldn’t find it anywhere. The only place I didn’t check was our bedrooms. That means that it has to be in one of them. So if we were to check your room and found the screwdriver there...”

“But...But you can’t!” Francesca demands suddenly. “It’s too late to investigate anymore!”

“Mononuki, could we go back up in order to investigate the bedrooms?” Cassidy asks.

“Hmm..?” The tanuki perks up, having been falling asleep. “Um...I don’t think so. You guys should have already done your investigating...”

“But the bedrooms are locked to everyone but those that own them. You never explained we could search them, which means that this trial is unfair on the basis that we were missing vital information.”

Mononuki suddenly looks worried. “U-Unfair..? No, it...it isn't! Fine, just this once, I’ll let you go search people’s rooms if you really want...but you have to do it before the trial next time!”

“Well, Francesca? How about it?” I ask. “Can you stand up to a search?”

“I...I-I...” Francesca seemed to be at a complete loss for words. “Ha...Haha...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” And then she was laughing wildly like she had just been told the funniest joke she’s ever heard. “HAHAHA _WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!_ ” And as if a switch had been flipped, she was suddenly sobbing her eyes out. “KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” And then she was screaming in pure terror. “AAAAAAAAAAUUGH!” And then in pure rage.

“HAHAHAHAHAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHKYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGH!” Laughter, crying, screaming, yelling, laughter, crying, screaming, yelling, laughter, crying, screaming, yelling. Francesca kept flipping through each one, only lingering on it for a few seconds at a time before she moved on to the next.

“...Francesca, STOP IT!” Jess’s voice suddenly cries out. Tears were glistening in her eyes and slowly trickling down her face.

All sounds suddenly cut from Francesca. She looked on completely emotionlessly. It was like she was a completely blank slate of a human being standing before us. “Yeah..? What is it..?”

“You did it, didn’t you..? You drugged me...you stole Wayne’s saber...you...you broke into Betty’s room and...killed her...” Jess was struggling to get the words out. This was her friend she was talking about. This must be so hard for her. “Just tell me the truth! Did you do all of that?! Are you really the killer?!”

“...you all talked about how important evidence is...why don’t you tell me? Can you piece this entire murder together..?”

“...I can. And I will. I’ll wrap it all up and show you that no one else could possibly have done it!” I declare.

[CLOSING ARGUMENT]

“The murder starts with the announcement of the girl and guy’s nights. Maybe they didn’t intend for it, but the killer was going to use these events to their advantage. Both start at the same time, eight o’clock that night. For the guys, there were five of them that showed up—Jeremiah, Joshua, Perry, Tyler, and me. For the girls, six showed up—Jess, Rita, Cassidy, Sasha, the victim--Betty, and our killer. Both nights end about half an hour before the nighttime announcement. Sasha, Betty, Jeremiah, Joshua, and Perry all went to their rooms by this point.

“Tyler went to visit the girls after he had left, wanting to check on Rita. This was the most important step of the killer’s impromptu plan. With Tyler present, they stole his screwdriver. This tool was going to let them enter whatever bedroom they wanted, given they had the time to do it. When the two of them left, that meant that those left at the girl’s night were Jess, Cassidy, and the killer. Wanting to keep the night going, Jess went to make tea, but Cassidy left the room almost as soon as Jess did, giving the killer the perfect opportunity to leave as well.

“The killer went to the infirmary to grab some sleeping aid. Once they were back in the library, all they had to do was wait for Jess to arrive with the tea. Then they asked her for sugar, not because they wanted it, but to get her out of the room again. Totally alone, they must have taken the first chance they had to spike the tea with the sleeping aid so that Jess would go to bed as soon as possible. One problem--or perhaps, a blessing--came in the form of Betty. She’d come in and drank the tea, too. A lot of it, in fact, meaning that if she wasn’t the initial victim to begin with, she certainly was now. She left just as Jess returned to drink her own tea, going to her room when she noticed how drowsy she was getting. The killer didn’t touch their tea, only wanting to make sure Jess drank hers. After drinking enough to get tried, Jess left her cup in the kitchen and went to bed and the killer soon followed. They must have planned to frame me from the start based on a comment Patrick made a few days ago, saying it would be easy to frame a person based on if their neighbor was found dead in their room. WIth Patrick in the lobby, this meant the killer had to pick Betty, who was still in her room.

“Betty was in her bathroom, probably trying to wake herself up using the sink so she could meet with Nancy and I, so she had no idea the killer was unscrewing her doorknob and breaking in. The killer attacked from behind, smashing Betty’s head in the mirror. This disorientated their victim and also provided a weapon in the form of a large piece of glass. Betty tried to defend herself, but the killer only had to slash and stab until she had stopped moving. But Betty did get a hit in, scratching the killer and leaving a wound. The killer didn’t want to leave it in plain view, so they quickly cleaned up and covered it with some concealer they had. Now for the next part of their plan.

“I wasn’t in my room yet, still out in the gym with Nancy. So the killer was able to break into my room as well and steal my saber, which they stab into Betty. They must not have noticed the concealer they smeared on the handle. After that, the killer tried to reattach both doorknobs. They got mostly done with mine, but Nancy and I had come back from the gym to go to bed, which meant the killer had to hurry back to their room and leave the job unfinished. If they had tried to leave their room after Nancy and I returned, Patrick must have come by to scare them away again and keep them hidden this time. And the only one who could have possibly pulled this off is _you_ , the Ultimate Actress, Francesca Grande!”

Francesca was silent now. She simply stood at her trial stand, no emotion, no reaction. There was just...nothing.

“...man...” Mononuki says from his seat. “It uh...sure sounds like you kids are wrapping it up, then. Are you all ready for the voting time..? It’s really simple. Just vote the person you think is the killer and I’ll tally them up...”

[VOTE FOR THE KILLER]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Winters

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

... _ >Francesca Grande _

“Mm...thaaaaat’s right, everyone!” Mononuki says once all votes were placed. “The one that murdered Betty is none other than... _yaaawn_...Francesca Grande, the Ultimate Actress!”

So...that’s it then. Francesca really was the killer of this case. And we just voted her guilty...

“...why?” Jess asks weakly. “Why did you...Why did you kill Betty?!”

“...why..?” Francesca echos. “Why..? Why? Why? Why why why why why why why why why?!” She grew more enraged with each repetition of the word. “Because I didn’t have a CHOICE! I had to get out of here! I HAD TO! I wanted out of this living nightmare from the very start! I wanted out more than any of you could ever IMAGINE! I had to leave! I HAD TO! AND I WOULD HAVE GLADLY MOWED YOU ALL DOWN TO DO IT! I’m a STAR! I’m bigger than ALL OF YOU! You’re BUGS compared to me! And if a bug stands in your way, then you SQUASH IT!”

The trial room fell silent with that revelation. It was as if Francesca’s voice had snuffed out everyone else’s in an instant.

“...I can provide some insight...” Mononuki says from his throne. “It’s because...you were scared. Right, Francesca? After all...with that video I showed you...”

Francesca recoils at the mention of the video and her anger melts into fear. “D...Don’t bring that up. It...It’s not real. It’s not real because I’M GETTING OUT OF HERE! So I won’t let it happen! I won’t let everyone forget! I won’t fade away! I did this all for ME! So that I could live on! I won’t be a nobody anymore! I worked so hard to rise in the ranks! Do you know how many people would KILL to live like me for even an hour?! I’m known across the ENTIRE WORLD! I’m the biggest name out there! EVERYONE KNOWS Francesca Grande! I’m not a nobody! I’ll never be a nobody again! I won’t let it happen! I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!”

So...that was it then. Mononuki must have shown Francesca a world where she was trapped forever. A world that would forget about The Scarlet Beauty on the Silver Screen. Who knows what kinds of things she did to get where she is now. And then to be told that it would all go to waste and no one was going to remember you...

“I won’t...I won’t be forgotten...” Francesca says weakly. “I’m not a nobody...I worked too hard to get where I am. I proved them all wrong! I showed them all I was someone worth caring about! Everyone knows who I am! And I can’t let them forget! I won’t!”

“Francesca...you’re not a nobody!” Jess demands. “You’re my friend! And I’ll always think of you that way! You don’t have to be some great actress or big star for me to think that! You’ll always be my friend!”

“...wh...what..? Jess, I....” Francesca was at a loss for words. Tears trickle down her face. “I...I killed her. I murdered Betty. I _drugged_ you...how could you still say that...knowing that I...”

“Um...” Mononuki interrupts. “This is great and all but...it’s time for us to get to the punishment!”

“W-Wait, no!” Francesca demands. “You can’t do this! Do you know who I am?!”

“We have a very special punishment planned for Francesca Grande, the Ultimate Actress.”

“I’m Francesca Grande, the biggest star in the universe! You can’t kill me! You just CAN’T!”

“So let’s give it everything we’ve got...” Mononuki yawns and lifts up a mallet with his tail. “It’s...PUNISHMENT TIME!” A button rises before him and he slams it down with the mallet.

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO MEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

A pair of double doors on the left side of the room open with a loud, blaring buzz. A chain flies out of them and clamps down tightly around Francesca’s neck. Her hands shoot up to the collar, trying to tug it away. The long chain tightens and pulls on her. She flies back through the air, being dragged through the door with a loud scream, and leaving our sight.

**Francesca Grande has been found guilty!**

**Commencing the punishment...**

Francesca stood in her old Juliet costume on a set, reminiscent of the Romeo and Juliet movie that sent her to stardom. She clasped a cup of poison in her hands. Stage lights were aimed on her. She was clearly nervous, sweating bullets. She was on the same set from the movie, too. There wasn’t any visible way off the stage so she did all she could think of to do. She begins to recite the lines that she had memorized for the movie. Then she gets to her big part. She brings the cup up to her lips and drinks it.

**Romeo, Oh Romeo!**

Francesca continues with her lines. Then she pauses. She shudders and drops the cup. It clatters to the floor, spilling the rest liquid. She puts a hand to her chest and heaves. She does it again, like something wanted to come up but couldn’t. She vomits up blood but keeps saying her lines through it. Nothing would ever get in the way of her and her performance. Not even whatever was happening to her. She would finish this, even if it killed her.

Mononuki walks out, wearing the Romeo outfit and holding a knife. Francesca is on her hands and knees now, vomiting more and shaking violently. The lines pour out of her mouth weakly yet on command. Then the spotlight moves off of her. She pulls herself up slowly and looks to Mononuki. He wasn’t supposed to be out here yet. He was early. Mononuki begins to recite his lines. But they were all wrong! They were from several scenes ago!

Francesca stumbles toward him, dazed and weak. Blood dribbled down her chin and onto her outfit. She felt absolutely furious through the poison clouding her mind. He was ruining everything. Her last performance! Her best! Gone and ruined because of an incompetent actor! She gives off a weak yet blood-curdling scream. Mononuki runs over and rams the knife into her chest. Her eyes widen and her mouth hangs open in shock.

Francesca takes a few steps back and stares down at the knife. Blood slowly pool around the wound. The actress bumps into an open coffin sitting on the stage as a prop. Mononuki pushes her and she falls into it. The lid slams shut over her and Mononuki pushes it into one of the graves. Juliet’s name was inscribed next to it. He pulls down on a lever and shuts the door. Smoke soon pours out. It wasn't a grave, it was an incinerator. And it would ensure no one would ever find the body of Francesca Grande.

**FRANCESCA GRANDE HAD BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED!**

I was quiet as the execution came to an end. My body felt numb. I was struggling to process everything I just saw. It was...It was so impossible to understand.

“...was...was that...real..?” Giffany’s voice comes out softly, almost impossible to hear.

“...as real as it gets...” was Joshua’s strained reply.

“That...that can’t be true!” Rick demands. “That can’t be real! That was...That was...o-oh god, I think I’m going to be sick!”

“F-Francesca...” Jess sobs. “No...why..? Why did it have to be her..?”

“Rita...I’m scared...” Tyler says weakly.

“...me, too...” Rita replies.

“This...This is a living nightmare...” Jeremiah says. “....when are we going to wake up..?”

“Young Harold, please, avert your eyes!” Perry demands in a panic. “Please..!”

“Perseus, now...isn’t the time...” Harold says softly.

Everything was falling apart around me. Everyone was devastated after watching that. And I...I couldn’t lie to them again. I couldn’t stand here and tell them we were going to be okay. We weren’t okay. Betty and Francesca weren’t okay. Nothing was okay...

“...whew...I’m so exhausted now...” Mononuki says sleepily. “You kids can all go now...head to bed and rest up for tomorrow, okay..?”

Everyone heads out of the room, the only sound being some mild crying and sniffling. We gather in the elevator and take it back up to the main school.

We all trudge back to our rooms, each person heading back into their own. I was one of the last, making my way to my own room. I pause outside of it, contemplating what to do, when someone approached me.

“I hope you’ve learned a lesson,” Cassidy says to me in her usual calm, cold tone. “Instilling complacency in others will only lead to trouble. You can’t rely on false hope to save us.”

“...I know,” I say weakly. “I’m sorry...”

“But...” she goes on. “...false hope doesn’t mean no hope. You have to be able to balance it out. Don’t throw everyone into a panic, but don’t make them give up, either. If you’re going to lead everyone like that, you need to take it seriously.”

“...I will,” I say, my voice sounding a bit stronger now. “I promise.”

Cassidy nods. “Good. Get some rest. We’ll talk more in the morning.” She heads to her room, leaving me alone. I let out a deep sigh and entered my own room.

I collapse into bed. I was tired and needed rest. I had to let everything settle in. Betty and Francesca were gone...but I couldn’t let that be it. I can’t just let them die for nothing. I had to avenge them and get everyone else out. I wouldn’t let us die here. I won’t let Mononuki win!

**Chapter 1: Hope is Just Another Name for Despair! - END!**

**Remaining Students: 14/16**

****


	12. Chapter 2: The Weak Won't Thrive - Daily Life Part I

**Chapter 2: The Weak Won’t Thrive [Daily Life - START!]**

“ _ Yaaawn _ ...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

Waking up to the morning announcement was pretty hard. As soon as I opened my eyes, the first thing I wanted to do was close them again and sleep until I could wake up from this nightmare. I knew that was impossible, but I wanted to imagine it wasn’t.

I did get up, eventually, and I began shuffling around my room to get ready for the day. After stepping out of my bathroom, my eyes catch my saber. It had been returned to its stand, polished to a shine. You’d never imagine it was soaked in blood just a day ago...I can’t stand looking at it now.

I make my way out of my room and glance over at the door next to mine. Betty...the sight of her body was still fresh in my mind. I walk over to her door and grip her doorknob tightly. It was screwed back into place. I try to open it, but I find that it’s locked. Without Betty’s key, it was going to stay that way, too. I doubt anyone is dying to unscrew the knob again just to see inside.

I decide to leave it be and head directly to the cafeteria. I needed some breakfast if I wanted to try and get out of the funk I was in. Mourning Betty and Francesca was important, but I had to be ready to move on for the sake of everyone else. I can’t spend all my time moping!

Stepping inside the cafeteria, I find that my mentality wasn’t carried with everyone. Most people were picking at their food if they had even bothered to get breakfast at all. Those who didn’t get anything were just sitting in their seats, eyes unfocused and quiet. Most surprising to me was that everyone was currently present, even those that normally weren’t, like Patrick and Giffany.

“Good, you’re finally here,” Cassidy says, turning in her chair to face me. She was seated at the front of the table, back to the door and facing the rest of the room. Was...I late for something?

“Sorry, I didn’t know you guys were waiting on me.” I quickly take a seat in one of the empty chairs. Did Cassidy summon everyone or did they come here naturally..?

Cassidy stands up from her chair, flipping through her notebook carefully. “...so, I can see we all agree that we need a new plan of some sort given the events of the day before.” She pauses, waiting for a response from the group, but no one says anything. She continues. “There isn’t very much we can do to prevent murders. What happened with Betty and Francesca was only preventable if we could somehow control Mononuki, but given that’s not a possibility, we’ll simply have to take other measures.”

“Like what?” Joshua asks. He was sitting back in his chair, arms crossed and eyes on his soggy cereal.

“Like this. We meet every morning for breakfast, right after the morning announcement. If someone doesn’t show up within thirty minutes, then we’ll have a group of three go look for them. That will at least ensure that when this happens again, we’ll be more prepared.”

“...when..?” Rita echos. “You can’t seriously be suggesting that this is going to happen again. No one would be stupid enough to murder after what happened to Francesca!”

“That’s what you were all saying just a few days ago. Then we were presented with an ultimatum and Francesca snapped. We tried it your way, and two people are dead. Now we’re going to do things my way. Am I clear?”

Rita opened her mouth to retort, but Tyler grabbed her by the wrist and just shakes his head. She slumps back into her seat, defeated. “Fine...”

“Good. I also want to enforce a stronger curfew. No one should be out past the nighttime announcement. I know that I have no real power, and therefore can’t truly hold you all to this, but I expect you all to play along. This murder happened because people were out and about during nighttime, so hopefully, a preventative measure like this will help.”

“So you’re basically relying on us to govern ourselves?” Patrick asks. “There’s no way that will work.”

“It’s the best I can offer,” Cassidy remarks. “I have decency, I won’t begin forcing you to manhandle each other or instill some sort of punishment. That’ll only build distrust amongst the group.”

“No offense...” Rick says softly. “But...you don’t really seem to trust us already...”

Cassidy snaps her notepad shut loudly. “If you’re all going to push back against me and my ideas, then I suggest you get up here yourself and pose your own. I’m trying to prevent more murder with what I have at my disposal, which isn’t much. If anyone has better ideas, I would love to hear them.”

Silence fills the room once more. Cassidy’s chilling gaze sweeps over all of us. “...that’s what I thought. That’s all for today. I’ll see you all tomorrow for breakfast.” She turns and heads for the door.

I get up from my chair and hurry over before Cassidy could leave. “Hey, where are you off to?”

“I have things I’d like to do. Unless you need something, I’ll be going.”

“Ah...I guess not, no. But I did want to thank you for last night. The pep talk really did help.”

“Hm?” She glances at me, and for a second, I feel like I saw a flicker of something on her face. Surprise? It was gone before I could figure it out. “Oh, well, don’t think anything of it.”

“But seriously, Cass.” She glares at me. “...idy. It means a lot to me.”

She sighs. “You’re quite the sentimental one, aren’t you? Always so focused on emotions and feelings.”

“Ah...thank you?”

“Mm...I’ll be off then.” Cassidy heads out of the room. If I was the emotional one, Cassidy had to be the exact opposite. Facts and logic were definitely her things.

I quickly throw some breakfast together to scarf down. Just as I had finished, the monitors around the school came to life with Mononuki on them. “Ah...heeey, everyone...can you make your way back to the stairwell? I have something important to go over...”

The stairwell? Didn’t we normally meet in the entrance hall? Why was it changing now?

I get up from the table and make my way there with those in the cafeteria, all of us gathering where we were told. Mononuki was standing in front of the grate that was stopping us from accessing further floors, a small silver key clutched in his paws.

“Alright, it uh...looks like everyone is here...” He lets out a long yawn and rubs his eyes. “Mm...alright, let’s just get this unlocked...” He turns around and we all hear a soft click after a moment. The shutter is pushed up and out of our way.

“You’re...letting us go into the rest of the school?” Rita asks skeptically.

“Oh, um...” Mononuki turns to face us again. “No...just the second floor. Consider it a...prize. For surviving the class trial and all. Enjoy the new facilities to their fullest, everyone.” With that out of the way, Mononuki waddles out of the room.

Just the second floor, huh..? I wonder what was up there that had to be kept locked up. Maybe there’s something that can help us out of here.

Some of the braver in the group, like Nancy and Patrick, were already making their way up the stairs. With those two taking the charge, it allowed some of the more nervous of the group to follow behind.

I look to Cassidy and slide up next to her. “Hey, you want to look around this area with me? Like when we first got here?”

She looks up at me from her notepad. “Hm? I suppose I can allow that, yes. Keep your wits about you. There’s no telling what sort of scheme Mononuki might be playing here.”

I nod in agreement. “Then let’s get going.”

The two of us venture off to the new floor, ready to see what new places awaited our discovery. The one thing I was wanting the most was some sort of clue or an exit we could use to get out of here.

The hallway we entered seemed about as refined as the rest of the school, but a little more worn than the sparkling first floor. It’s clear there was usually more traffic up here than down there. Less expensive decorations, mostly just portraits of old school headmasters from around the world. The floor didn’t shine as brightly and the wooden walls didn’t seem as closely polished.

The first room, to our left, was the rec room. Stepping inside, we were met with a rather warm interior. The entire room had a calming aura to it that relaxed me the second I stepped inside. There were a few red sofas in the center of the room, all facing toward a flat screen television on the wall and a couple wooden chairs in the room for students to move around. Next to the TV was a magazine rack that also sported some weekly manga and comic books on it. There was a pool table on the left side of the room and a foosball table on the right side of the room, both looking well used. 

Rick, Sasha, and Jeremiah were all clustered together at the foosball table. Sasha was cheering the two on with her sketchbook as they played against each other. Rick seemed a lot less confident in the game than Jeremiah did. Patrick was working with the television and Giffany was going through the magazine rack.

“We should go see if any of the others have any ideas about this place,” I say.

Cassidy glances up from her notepad and spares a glance over at the others. “Right, sure. You’ll handle the talking, won’t you?”

“Of course, c’mon.” I head over to the small group playing a game right now. From the looks of things, Rick was in the lead.

“You  _ said _ that you’ve never played this before,” Jeremiah huffs, his entire concentration on the game.

“I-I haven’t...” Rick murmurs softly, a lot less focused as he seemed to just spin the handles around as fast as he could. One of the pegs smack the ball and sends it flying into the air. It bounces off Rick’s head and right into Jeremiah’s slot. “...uh...I think I won.”

“Are you alright?” I ask Rick. “That ball hit you kinda hard.”

The two boys look over as I speak. “Hm? Oh, I’m fine...” Rick assures, rubbing the spot the ball smacked him. “It’ll probably just bruise.”

Sasha holds up what she had written on her notebook with a big grin. “ _ A shot like that is just what I expect from the Ultimate Luckster! _ ”

“Don’t be so superstitious,” Cassidy chides. “Luck isn’t a quantifiable thing. I even hesitate to call it a trait at all.”

Rick rubs the back of his neck. “It’s easy to say when you don’t really live with it...”

“I’d liken it to a placebo effect, if anything, Rick. You believe in your own luck so much that it causes situations to happen. For instance, if you hadn’t been spinning around those levers so quickly, the ball wouldn’t have shot up like that.”

“Well...he still had to be selected by the lucky student lottery, right?” I ask. “He can’t fake something like that with just a placebo effect.”

“Mm...” Cassidy went quiet with that, adding some notes to her notepad. “At least try to do something more productive than play games, you three.”

“We were just taking a break,” Jeremiah replies. “I think we’re deserving of one after yesterday.”

“ _ We will! _ ” Sasha scribbled down to assure Cassidy, even making sure her notepad blocked the view of Jeremiah. “ _ In fact, we have something to do right now! We’ll see you later! _ ” Hooking each arm around one of the boys’ arms, she quickly dragged the two of them away to mild protest.

“Let’s hope the three of them don’t cause any unnecessary trouble...” Cassidy murmurs to herself.

“Come on, have a little hope in them,” I reply. “They seem to be getting along, isn’t that what we want?”

“Mm...” Again, Cassidy didn’t respond. I doubt I was going to get much of one.

I head over to Patrick. He was flipping through TV shows at the moment. “Anything good on?” I ask.

Patrick looks at me, complete annoyance washed over his features. “Everything on this TV is pre-recorded shows and movies.”

“Huh? What, are they not any good?”

“Is this your idea of a joke?” Patrick asks. The annoyance on his face was leaking into his voice. “We can’t check the news or find any sort of updates on our situation. If people knew we were missing, checking news stations is the first thing we should try to do. It makes me wonder what we’re not supposed to see...”

“Ah, right, I knew that,” I say, looking away as I rub the back of my head sheepishly.

Patrick rolls his eyes and returns his attention to the TV screen. “Yeah, I’m sure you did. I’d like to be left in peace for now.”

I nod softly. “Uh, yeah, sure thing...see you later, Patrick...” That conversation didn’t feel as constructive as I would have liked, but it was probably for the best I gave Patrick some space instead of bothering him further.

I head over to Giffany, who was delicately flipping the pages of a rather thick manga she had in her hands. I wasn’t too surprised she’d be attracted to that. Manga had never really been my thing; my sister had way more interest in it. Maybe there was something Giffany could share.

“You read that one yet?” I asked her.

Giffany lets out a squeak and holds the manga to her chest protectively. “I-I uh...um! If you want to read it, that’s fine, I’m sorry for hogging it!” She quickly holds it out to me.

“Oh, no, that’s not what I was trying to say!” I assure her. “I was just wondering if that’s an issue you’ve read yet or not.”

“O...Oh...” Giffany deflates and curls in on herself a little bit. “Um...no, I haven’t read this one yet. It’s...actually a new issue, I think.”

“Huh? Is that so?”

“Yeah, I’m...I’m pretty sure of it. I don’t read this series very closely but I keep up and this is...definitely new.”

I look at the rack. Does that mean everything else here would be recent, too? Is it kept updated as new things come out, or did we just get the newest stuff since it was prepared? I pick up a magazine to look at the date on it.

“...huh?” But where the current issue date should be, I only find a black scribble. Someone marked it out. I start looking at everything else on the rack, but I find each one was the same. Totally scribbled out.

“It looks like someone doesn’t want us keeping track of the days,” Cassidy says, writing things down in her notepad.”

I look to Giffany to ask if her manga was the same, but she’s already gotten herself lost in the pages. It’d probably be best to leave her alone. I doubt whoever did this forgot the one manga, but I can always come check on it later when Giffany was done using it.

“That seems to be all there is here,” Cassidy says. She spares a glance around the room. “It seems like our captor is making sure we have as little information about the outside world as possible. It must make it easier for them to control us that way.”

“Right...” The motive we were given the other day certainly comes to mind. Not knowing anything about the outside world makes it easier for them to tell us anything they want with no way for us to prove it.

“Let’s get moving, there’s more to see,” Cassidy says. She heads out of the room, just as brisk as she always was. I make sure to keep up with her.

Farther down the hall and to our right was an area labeled as the Art room. Opening the door, I notice immediately that most of the floor is covered in a massive tarp that’s been splattered with paints and clays and other materials that have almost entirely covered the original color of the fabric. The walls were covered in paintings and drawings of all kinds, hung up and signed by various people. There was a table at the back filled to the brim with various art supplies, like paints and clays and pencils and sketchbooks. A pyramid of paint cans was sitting off to the left, featuring colors of all kinds. Some easels have been set up with blank canvases on them for someone to draw on, there were also smaller tables for someone to sit at and work--both of which were the only things on the tarp.

I wasn’t too surprised to see that Perry was in the room, standing at one of the canvases. Harold was right there behind him and Jess was by Perry’s side as well. Nancy was also here, beating her fists into a shapeless glob of wet clay she had set up on a table.

I head over to the group at the easel. Perry was painting at the moment, unsurprisingly. Jess was helping him. It looked like Harold was the supervisor then, as he stood a bit farther back and merely watched them.

“Young Harold, do you think you’d like to join us now?” Perry asks, sparing a glance back at his brother.

“Yeah, come on. Something like this can be therapeutic, especially after...” Jess trails off and a sorrowful frown tugs at her face.

“I’m quite alright,” he says. “Just continue on...” I could tell he wasn’t focusing too much on those two. His eyes were scanning along the walls instead.

“It’s looking great, you guys,” I say as I approach them. Perry and Jess look at me, but Harold was still distracted.

“Thank you so much, nobel warrior!” Perry chirps. “The caregiver and I both decided we needed to let it all out, and the best way I know to do that is through art!”

“Yeah, I just...need to let it out,” Jess agrees hesitantly. Her smile was thin. I was worried about her. I know she cared about Francesca, even if they hadn’t know each other for long, so she must still be torn up about it. I can’t imagine what she must be going through. But now wasn’t the time to ask her about that, I could see she was busy.

I decide to head over to Nancy next. I don’t think she was actually making anything with the clay, she was just using it as something to beat to a pulp. Someone out there would consider that art, though.

“Uh...hey there, Nance.” I don’t think it would wise of me to bring up what she’s doing at all.

“Hey,” she grunts, not even turning to look at me. Wet clay was coating her gloves and splashing onto her clothes, face, and arms. She didn’t seem to mind.

“...are we still on for our exercises tonight?” I ask her.

“Yeah, whatever...” I wasn’t going to get a lot out of her right now. I’d be better off just leaving her alone for the time being.

I look at Cassidy, ready to ask her if she wanted to leave, but I could see she had broken away from me to speak with Harold on the other side of the room. The two of them kept glancing at the paintings on the wall. Was there something wrong with them?

I walk over to the two of them.   
  
“...know my own brother’s artwork. And--” Harold stops, catching my eye. “Excuse me, we’re trying to have a conversation here.”

Cassidy looks my way as well. “I didn’t take you for the type to eavesdrop.”

“I-I wasn’t doing that!” I saw quickly. “I was just coming over to let you know we could leave when you were ready. There’s still some more rooms to look at.”

“Of course. We can talk more later, Harold.”

Harold crosses his arms and looks away. “We don’t need to, I said what I have to say.”

Whatever was going on between these two, it didn’t involve me, so I doubt I’d get much more clarity in the situation beyond what I have now. With Cassidy by my side, I head out of the room and back to the hallway.

Farther down on the left again, there was a room labeled as the computer lab. Stepping inside, I find that I’m not too surprised by what I see. Three of the four walls are lined with computer stations. The center of the room had one large desk, most likely for a teacher to sit at. None of the computers were on, but they looked like they would work just fine.

Joshua was here, sitting at one of the computers and mashing wildly at the keyboard of it. Rita and Tyler were peering over his shoulders, both talking to him occasionally.

I walk over to the three of them with Cassidy in tow. “Hey, guys, how’s the computer working?”

“It’s NOT!” Joshua demands loudly, slamming both of his hands down onto the keyboard.

“Not if you keep treating the computer like that...” Tyler mumbles.

“Oh please, it’s not alive!” Joshua snaps.

“...it doesn’t have any internet connection,” Cassidy says. “That might be your problem.”

“Duh, I know that! How about you help me figure out how to get it work?!”

“That’s not how--” Cassidy stops herself. “...forget it. I’ll check on the computers myself later.”

Joshua huffs through his nose and slumps back in his seat, arms crossed. “Yeah, fine, whatever...”

“Oh, we can help with that, Cassidy!” Rita chirps. “Right, Ty?”

“Uh...I-I mean, I’m not great with computers...” Tyler mumbles. “But...I can try, for sure!”

“I don’t need any help,” Cassidy replies. “In fact, I’d prefer it if I was alone to work. So try not to bother me.”

Joshua rolls his eyes. “Geez, just tell us how you really feel...”

“Are you implying something, Joshua?” Cassidy retorts, her gaze becoming even icier.

“You don’t trust us, isn’t that it? You think one of these computers could have something useful on them, and you don’t want any of us getting our hands on it before you. You wanna keep all that information to yourself! And you know, that’s something I would do, which means you sure as hell shouldn’t be doing it!”

“...you’re right, I don’t trust you. And I don’t have any reason to. You of all people should understand why I don’t trust you.”

“Oh, I perfectly understand!” Joshua smirks and puts his hands behind his head. “Buuut...I wasn’t the one that offered to help you. Romeo and Juliet did. So it’s not just me that you distrust.”

“Hey, leave her alone,” I say. “I’m sure if she finds something, she’ll come and tell us.”

“Forget it, Wayne,” Cassidy says, heading for the door already. “I don’t owe them any explanation anyway.”

I open my mouth to say something to her, shut it, and look to the others. “Hey, I’m sorry about that...”

“Forget it,” Rita says with a wave of her hand. “We can just look through the computers before she gets back.”

I don’t think Cassidy will be okay with that. “Alright. I’ll go check on her.” I give the three of them a wave and head out of the room.

Venturing into the hallway, I see Cassidy has already gone into the final room of the hallway.

On the right side of the hall was a file room, according to the label. I was quick to follow Cassidy into the room. The room was filled with filing cabinets and boxes lining every side of the room, with the wall closest to the door occupied by a desk that had a lamp and some pens on it. Cassidy was already going through the cabinets, hard at work on finding anything of worth.

“Hey, you alright?” I ask her as I approach.

“I’m just fine,” she replies coolly. “But since no one else was here, I thought I would get an investigation done. There could be something of use amongst all of this.”

“Oh, right! Well, here, I can help you.”

“No need. I’ll handle this alone. You can go do something else in the meantime.”

I pause, taken by surprise by that. Does she not trust me, either? I thought maybe she at least saw me as a friend. “Well...you’ll at least show me what you find here, right?”

“Mm...” Cassidy didn’t even grace me with a response. I immediately felt defeated by that. She had to trust me a little bit, right? She walked around with me for both of these floors...but she also had me do something for her while we did. Was that it then? She stuck with me so I could do the talking for her and that’s it?

“...hey, Cassidy, you trust me, don’t you?” I ask her.

Cassidy’s rifling stops. “Wayne...” She pauses for a moment. “...I’m busy. We can talk later if you really want.”

So...that’s probably a no. Which didn’t help me feel much better. “Right...okay...”

“It’s nothing personal against anyone here,” she tries to assure me, sparing a glance over her shoulder. “I just have my reasons not to.”

I nod quickly. “Yeah, yeah...I get it. It’s...It’s fine, really. I’ll leave you to it. See you...” I wave weakly and head out of the room quietly. If Cassidy didn’t trust me, did anyone else feel that way? If they do, it could be harder to try and band us all together...agh, I can’t start thinking about that right now! What we all went through yesterday was horrific, I should just rest for today and try to talk to some of the others.

[FREE TIME - START!]

When I entered the cafeteria, I found Joshua was there, eating something as a snack. It looks like he wasn’t planning to start any kind of games right now, so maybe I’ll have an easier time talking to him.

“Hey, Josh, just getting some food, huh?”

The cheater glances my way, his half-eaten muffin in hand. “Mm? Yeah, why, you want some?”

“Ah, no, I’m good. Thought maybe we could hang out is all.”

Joshua’s grin stretches out mischievously. “Looking for a rematch?”

“Huh? Oh, no, nothing like that! I really just wanted to hang out.”

Joshua’s smile quickly vanishes. “Oh, alright. I guess that’s fine, too.”

I spend some time hanging out with a less than exuberant Joshua. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“So, I was wondering...” I start. “...how long have you decided that you were just going to...cheat?”

“Heh, want my tragic backstory?” Joshua smirks, wiping some muffin crumbs off of his hands. “Can’t say it’s anything too deep. I just sort of realized that no one else plays fair, so hey, why should I? No point in playing the rules in a system that rewards the cheater.”

However it was Joshua decided to see the world, it definitely wasn’t one I could possibly agree with. The idea of cheating to get where I was right now...it filled me with a certain sense of dread.

“And the TYCP really was okay with it? Being something like the Ultimate Cheater just seems...wrong.”

“You worry too much, Wayne! My talent is completely and utterly legitimate! I’m a full fledged cheater, through and through!”

“Really? I just...I don’t know, I find it a little hard to believe that’s all you’re good at.”

Joshua had a surprised look on his face and he snaps his head in my direction. “Wh-Who said that’s all I’m good at?! I have plenty of skills! Just because I used cheating to get where I am doesn’t mean I’m bad at anything!”

I definitely didn’t mean to set him off like that. “That’s...That’s not what I meant, I just mean...there has to be another reason the TYCP looked for you. If you’re a cheater that’s never been caught, how would they even--”

“A-Alright, that’s it, we’re done hanging out!” Joshua stands up quickly. “If you’re just gonna badger me then...then yeah, we’re done!”

“Ah, wait, Joshua, I didn’t mean to--”

“Forget it, just...buzz off, huh?! Stop sticking your nose in my business!” Joshua jabs a finger into my chest, then turns and storms out of the room. I...really set him off there, didn’t I? It’s not like I meant to, it’s just...

Maybe I’m overthinking it. I should let him cool off before I try talking to him again, so I head off in another direction than him.

I made my way back to the rec room, finding that Patrick had settled down to watch something on the TV. He must have given up on trying to find a news station of any kind. He was just watching a cartoon now.

“Mind if I join you, Patrick?” I ask as I walk over.

Patrick lets out a soft sigh and pauses his show. “If you must...”

I take a seat on the couch next to Patrick. “Come on, I’ll be quite if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“You better be. I’ll throw you out yourself if you aren’t.” He grabs the remote and lets his show keep playing.

I’m quite just like I promised. I spend time watching TV with Patrick. The two of us grew a little closer today.

I did want to talk to Patrick, so I had to wait until he was in between episodes to start talking. “How's the costume coming? The one you said you were going to make for me.”

“Hm?” Patrick glances in my direction. “Right, that. I need your measurements first. But it’s not really for a competition, so I can get to it later.”

Oh, right, some cosplayers like to enter competitions. I’m not foreign to the idea, but I did wonder what they were like.“So what are cosplay competitions like?” I ask him curiously. 

“They’re what you would expect,” he says. “People dress up in their best cosplay and show it off to some judges. The competitions can sometimes go on for a couple of days with varying ranks if they're big enough.”

“Sounds kind of stressful,” I murmur. The thought of being watched and judged like that sends a shiver down my spine. I could handle it with my matches because it was easy to tune out the audience in the middle of the duel, but something like the kind of competition he was talking about? I couldn’t possibly ignore all the people watching me there.

“I find it to be entertaining,” he corrects. “I put a lot of effort into my costumes. Showing how mine are better than everyone else’s is enjoyable. It’s why my commision prices are so high but my customer demand is just as high.”

“Uh...shouldn’t the fact that you can show off your work to others and have them appreciate it be the purpose?”

“Possibly, but I prefer looking at the defeated looks on everyone’s faces when they realize I’m better than them. Then they come crawling to me wanting their shoddy costumes to be remade with my skill and I make money off of it.”

I...honestly wasn’t sure how to react to that. It sounds like Patrick takes more pleasure in being better than others than anything else. But a question began burning in my mind. “Hey, does this have something to do with the question you asked me earlier?”

Patrick gives me a little glance, having already lost focus on me in favor of the TV. “Hm? What question?”

“The one about masks. You asked if I ever wore one before...I still don’t think I understood it.”

“That’s your problem then, isn’t it?” His tone was dismissive. Patrick turns his full attention back to the television. “You should be going now. I’m bored with this.” He didn’t even give me a choice, and not wanting to argue with him, I got up. What was that all about? He asked me the question before but now he won’t explain it at all. I don’t get him.

I didn’t have much else to do there, so I leave and head downstairs and into the gym. That’s where I find Nancy.

She had gotten the football tackle dummy in the back room and was currently using it for her boxing after dragging it out to the gym. She had her boxing gloves on as she wailed on it. She must be blowing off more steam, even before our nightly meetings. She knocks down the dummy with a solid punch. Then she noticed me and looks over.

“Oh, hey! I need to do some training on a live target. Mind if I use you?” she asks, resting one hand on her hip.

I was more than a little hesitant to let her do that to me. “I uh...” I couldn’t even get out of it last time, I doubt it’ll work this time.

Nancy smirks and hits her fists together. “C’mon! I’ll totally go easy on ya this time, man! Don’t be a wimp!”

I was still nervous to let someone like her freely beat me up, but if she was going to go easy on me. Maybe I can have her go easier than last time. Besides, I might as well let her have a go after what happened yesterday.

I nod hesitantly and she grins back in response. I spend some time getting beat up by Nancy. The two of us grew a little closer today.

She holds an ice pack to my bruised cheek after she had knocked me on my ass for the fifth time. “I thought you said you were going to go easy on me..?” I grumble.

She smiles and pats my back. It hurt a bit thanks to the bruising she gave it. “I did go easy on you, buddy! I didn’t break anything, did I?”

Her definition of going easy was not as nice as I had anticipated. I’ll just have to be sure to never box with her again. Which is easier said than done. “You have a pretty good punch if this is your idea of going easy on me,” I say.

She moves the ice pack to my shoulder. “Well, I had four brothers and ten years to get to train it!”

“Four brothers?” I mimic. “That... _ has _ to be brutal.” I only had one sister and that was enough to handle on my plate.

“Yeah, so you gotta be brutal right back!” She moves the ice pack to my stomach. “The first day my dad took interest in my punch was when I knocked a tooth out of my oldest brother’s mouth when he took my favorite toy. After that, dad took me under his wing. He was an ex-boxer himself, so he taught me all his best techniques.”

I was honestly a little jealous of her. Neither of my parents had ever been sword fighters of any kind. The only way I got to train was with my sister, but she was into kendo. So it wasn’t always easy with such different fighting styles.

“But I didn’t want to be some carbon copy of my dad,” Nancy goes on. “I wanted to be something new. Then in my first match, I broke my opponent's nose. The crowd went wild! And I knew what my own special touch would be. I became Nosebleed Nancy, the greatest boxer in the world!”

She grins proudly and stands up to pose with a hand on her hip, her other arm flexing. She must have heard an invisible crowd cheer in her head because she holds that pose for a few solid seconds while I sit there in silence.

After her ego wears off, she helps me back onto my feet. “Well, you should be fine. I’m gonna go get some dinner before tonight. See you then, buddy.” She heads out. Was I going to be fine after getting thrown around for five matches in a row? I sure hope so. I can see where Nancy got such an intense personality from, though, with a family like hers.

I make my way to the dining room to get some dinner. I wanted to be sure I was ready for my meeting with Nancy tonight, so I wanted to get something to eat first. Some of the others were there at the moment; Nancy, Jess, Harold, Perry, Sasha, and Jeremiah. I get a meal put together and join them at the table.

“You guys enjoying all the new rooms?” I ask, hoping to strike up some positive conversation.

“Ah, the art studio is simply a glorious haven away from this hellish enclosure!” Perry remarks with a dreamy look on his face.

“Watching Perry paint really is something else,” Jess says. “Even if I wish he wasn’t so messy with it.”

“It’s my process!” Perry retorts. “I simply let all of the emotions and feelings pour out of me and into my art and sometimes that’s a messy process.”

“I lost count of the amount of shirts and pants I’ve had ruined because he splashed me with his ‘ _ process _ ’,” Harold grumbles from his seat.

Perry smiles sheepishly. “Y-Young Harold, please...”

“ _ An art studio sounds so cool! _ ” Sasha had written. “ _ Perry, we should totally make something together! _ ”

Nancy jabs me with her elbow, taking my attention away from the others. “Hey, we still on for tonight?” she asks. I had already asked her that today. She must not have been listening to me then. “I get it if you don’t wanna now that...now that Betty’s gone but...” Nancy shifts her eyes away from me, a frustrated look on her face.

“I think Betty would have wanted us to keep meeting up,” I assure her. “We’ll just have to meet a bit earlier so we can head to bed on time with the announcement, alright?”

Nancy lets out a loud huff and looks more relaxed. “Yeah, sure, whatever. I’ll see you there then.” She gets up from her seat and heads out of the room.

I let the others talk while I ate the last of my dinner and made my way out as well. I wanted to get ready for tonight’s session, so I head to my room. I grab my mask and reach out to grab my saber, but my entire body freezes with a sense of cold dread. My saber was spotless, and yet I can still only think of the gore that had soaked it just last night. I slowly pull my hand away and avert my gaze from it. Maybe...it would just be best to do some other exercises tonight. I put my mask back with a sigh.

I head out of my bedroom and to the gym, where Nancy was already waiting for me.

“Not bringing your saber?” Nancy asks me.   
  
I hesitantly shake my head. “No, I uh...I think I’m fine. Let’s just do some basic stuff tonight, alright?”   
  


She nods. “Yeah, sure thing man. Whatever you wanna do.”

Nancy and I only do some basic exercises that night. We don’t say much to each other or go beyond that, but I think all we needed right now was some company. At least, that’s what I needed. I hope it was enough for her, too.

We finished about ten minutes before the nighttime announcement was meant to play and went back to our rooms. By the time I was getting ready for bed, the screens around the school flickered to life. “Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...I know I will.”

Well, I made it back to my room, so at least I wasn’t breaking any rules. But only a couple minutes later, I heard a knock at my door and answered.

I found Cassidy standing on the other side, eyes down on her notebook. She gives me a glance and writes something down. “I’m just running some attendance,” she says before I have a chance to ask her anything. “Just to be sure everyone is in their room. I thought it would be a safe way to handle this, so no one can sneak out undetected.”

“Is...it just you?” I ask. Was it really wise for Cassidy to handle all this work alone..?

“No,” she says. “I have Jessica handling all the rooms on the other side of the hall. That way, both of us can keep an eye on each other at the same time, and if something were to go wrong, someone is there to bear witness.”

Well, that’s not exactly why I asked, but at least Cassidy was having someone help. “Well, if you ever want me to step in, I can handle it, too. Don’t be afraid to ask.”

Cassidy gives me another glance and proceeds to write in her notebook some more. “...have a good night, Wayne.” She starts to walk off, but I wasn’t done talking.

“Hey, wait, Cassidy. Before you leave, I wanted to talk to you for a second.”

She pauses for a moment before turning around and returning to my door. “What is it? I’d rather this not take long.”

“It won’t. I just...wanted to say that I know you don’t trust me, or anyone, really. But I’m going to be here for you for anything you need. You can come talk to me about anything and I’ll keep it safe, I promise.”

Cassidy is silent for a long moment, studying me with her cold gaze. I held my ground waiting for a response.

Her eyes finally look away. “...if I decide I need any help with something, I suppose I’ll come to you then. Is that all?”

I nod. “Yeah, that’s all.” I definitely felt a bit better now. I let Cassidy walk off as I shut the door behind her.

That went better than I had been expecting. I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say Cassidy trusted me, but she was giving me a chance, and I was glad to have that much. She’s trying to prevent murder with her own plans and ideas and I wanted to help, after all.

I climb into bed and find myself falling asleep in a matter of minutes.


	13. Chapter 2: The Weak Won't Thrive - Daily Life Part II

“ _ Yaaawn _ ...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

I woke up groggily. I still wasn’t feeling the best after everything, but I was definitely better. I get myself ready for the day so that I’d be ready to see the others at breakfast.

I finish up and leave my room. I could already smell food cooking when I had entered the lobby. I could name it by the time I entered the cafeteria. Someone made pancakes.

In fact, that’s all that’s been made. A stack of pancakes sat on the table with syrup and butter and everyone was eating one or two of them. A few people were missing from the table, but it wasn’t long before some of them walked out of the kitchen.

“Oh, um, morning, Wayne!” Rick says, standing in between Jeremiah and Sasha. “Glad you made it in time, we uh...just finished the second stack of pancakes.” He holds up a plate in his hands, which was piled high with pancakes.

“So you three made them?” I ask as I take the seat. “That’s really nice of you guys, thanks.”

“ _ We wanted everyone to feel better! So I decided we should do something for us all during breakfast! _ ” Sasha writes.

“I only did it because there’s no way I trust Rick near a stove...” Jeremiah says, arms crossed as he looked away. “...Sasha convinced me, anyway. Just enjoy the food.”

I take some of the freshly made pancakes to eat. Before long, everyone else had arrived at the cafeteria and sat down to eat. Almost every pancake was gone by the time we had our fill.

“Breakfast was simply stupendous!” Perry exclaims with a bright smile.

“Yeah, thanks for the grub. Beats having to make it myself,” Nancy agrees. She was soaking her last pancake in a pool of syrup before shoveling the entire thing into her mouth.

“You guys did great!” Giffany says with a smile. “Thanks a ton!”

“ _ It was our pleasure! _ ” Sasha writes with a beaming smile on her face.

“Just don’t expect this to be a daily thing,” Jeremiah says. “I’m not a maid.”

“...this feels way too peaceful,” Joshua says after a moment.

“I think that was the point,” Rita says. “...but you’re going to say something that’ll ruin the mood, aren’t you?”

“Look, I’m just saying! In a game where we’re supposed to distrust and kill each other, Mononuki’s let the mood get too good.”

“Well, it’s not like we broke the rules...” Rick murmurs. “So Mononuki wouldn’t really ah...stop us from doing this.”

“Uuum...attention, everyone...” Mononuki says on screen, drawing our attention. “But, um...can you all come to the entrance hall for me? I think we should really just...get to this next motive, huh? It worked great last time...but I figured the novelty already wore off and all, sooo...”

A heavy pit formed in my stomach that filled me with nausea. Another...motive? Why...Why another? The first one was bad enough already. I could already remember that video. What was going to happen to us this time..?

Cassidy gets up from her chair first. “Let’s get this over with, then. Best not to keep him waiting.” She walks out of the room and the others begin following her. I didn’t have much of a choice here, so I get up and follow them out as well.

We made our way into the entrance hall, seeing Mononuki was already there, sitting near the locked front door. He waves to us as we gathered in the room. “Ah...good morning, everyone. I really hope you enjoyed those pancakes...”

“So...So you saw that..?” Giffany asks nervously.

“I see everything that goes on in this school.  _ Yaaaaawn..~ _ Mm...as your headmaster, it’s my duty to make sure no one is getting up to mm...any trouble.”

“I’d rather get this over with quickly,” Patrick says. “So if you could just get to the point?”

“Hm..?” Mononuki tilts his head a little. “Well...if you want me to get to the point, okay. I poisoned all of you.”

...

What?

There was a moment of silence in the room as everyone heard the news. My heart skipped a beat as it leapt up into my throat. I swallowed it back down.

“P...Poisoned..?” Jess asks softly. “Like... _ poisoned _ poisoned?”

“What other kind of ‘poisoned’ is there?!” Harold snaps at Jess. He turns his attention back to Mononuki. “You, rat! What kind of poison was it? Is there a cure? How did you even administer this to us?!”

“I’m not a rat...” Mononuki pouts, his ears wilting a little.

“Answer the damn questions!”

“Well...the poison was distributed in the pancakes you all had today. I had it put in with the mix before you all got up. As for the kind, it’s...mm...a special brew. It’s going to weaken you all the longer it remains in your systems. You’ll feel like you’ve become ill with headaches and coughs, I think. Your bodies will be harder to move, you’ll feel weak and sluggish, and overall you’ll just...not function.”

“In...In the pancakes..?” Rick asks, bewildered.

“Whaddya mean by ‘weak’?! Nancy Clark is never weak!” the boxer cries, slamming her fists together.

“...what’s the catch?” Cassidy asks. “You’ve poisoned us with an attempt to make us weaker, but if everyone is weak, who could possibly commit a murder?”

“I’m getting to that...” Mononuki whines. “Just...lemme... _ yaaaaawwwn... _ ” It looked like he was starting to nod off on the spot. Patrick rolls his eyes and snaps his fingers, bringing the toy back. “Oh, right...as for cures, there are some around the school you can try to find..! Not enough for everyone, and it’s first come, first serve, so no trading. When someone dies, I’ll give everyone the cure..!”

“So...that’s your game...” Patrick ponders. “Taunt us all with the promise of there being the perfect victim--someone who won’t be able to fight back or escape--for anyone still itching to escape. And there are supposed cures around for those who do want to kill, or even avoid dying.”

“How do we even know there’s a cure?” Tyler asks. “He could be lying to us about that!”

“I might be a lot of things, but I’m not a liar,” Mononuki assures. “There are several cures lying around that you’ll have the chance to find...but I didn’t make it easy...and you’ll know you found one when you see it!”

“Well then what are we waiting here for?!” Joshua demands. “We should be out there looking for these cures!”

“Didn’t you hear him?” Rita demands, hands on her hips. “He said there isn’t enough for everyone and we can’t trade!”

“S-So what?! If you all don’t give a shit, fine, but I’m not sitting around waiting for someone to kill me! I’m going to find one myself! I don’t need any of you!” Joshua runs out of the room after that.

“Hey, maybe you should go apologize to him...” Tyler says softly to Rita.

“Apologize for what?! He was the one being a creepy jerk and not thinking!”

“Forget it,” Cassidy says. “I’ll go keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t cause any trouble.”

“Are, uh, we even allowed to leave yet? Mononuki is still--” Rick looks to where the tanuki had been sitting, but the space was empty now. “...oh. Nevermind...”

Sasha gently tugs on Rick’s sleeve and shows him her sketchpad. “ _ Come on, let’s go make sure all the leftover pancakes and the mix are thrown away. _ ”

“Right...okay...” Rick murmurs. He trudges out of the room with Sasha. Jeremiah was silently in tow with the two of them.

The others begin to trickle out of the room now. A deep sigh escapes me. I wanted to try and keep everyone together, and that pancake idea could have worked but...now we’re just drifting apart again. How am I supposed to stop someone from dying again if Mononuki is just going to keep ripping us apart?!

No...I can’t just give up. Now more than ever, I have to try and keep us together. Maybe I can get some plans by talking with the others and seeing how I can help them.

[FREE TIME - START!]

I went to the computer lab, not too surprised to find Giffany had taken up residence at one of the computers. She had a drawing tablet with her and was busy working on making something. She had looked over when I entered the room, though, and was quick to close the program and turn off the computer screen.

“Ah, hey, I’m not intruding or anything, am I?” I ask her.

“N-No, no, of course not! You didn’t do anything wrong! I didn’t mean to make you think that! I’m sorry!” GIffany practically wails, already looking on the verge of a breakdown.

I put my hands up. “Hey, it’s alright, Giffany. I’m not upset. If you’d rather be left alone, I’ll leave you alone...”

“You...You don’t have to go...I’m sorry...” she replies, looking just a bit calmer than before. She sinks down into her chair, trying to hide her face with her sweater.

I walk over to where Giffany was sitting and pull up a chair next to her. “Do you mind if I see what you were working on?”

Gifany glances at me then down at the drawing pad. She holds it to her chest. “I...It’s dumb but...if you really want to, I don’t mind...”

I spend time looking over WIPs with Giffany. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“It must have taken such a long time to get good at something like visual novels,” I comment after some time. “And it’s just you that works on them?”

Giffany nods softly. “Um...y-yeah, it’s just me...”

“So all the art, programming, and dialogue is made by you? That’s pretty amazing!”

A dark red blush crosses Giffany’s face and she quickly looks away. “I-It’s nothing that no one else could do without the right information but...” She hesitantly flickers her gaze back over to me. “...but you really think it’s that cool? I’m not some giant loser NEET that needs to get a life?”

“Yeah, of course it is. What’s wrong with being into this kind of stuff? It’s not really my cup of tea, but my sister is really into. You’ll have to meet her some time, she’d be so excited to see you’re my friend!”

“Your..f...friend..?” Tears begin to well up in Giffany’s eyes. “We’re...friends..?” Giffany starts to sob loudly, surprising me.

“Ah! Is something wrong, Giffany? I didn’t mean to upset you!”

“I’ve...I’ve never had a friend before!” Giffany tries to dry her face with her sleeves. “I’m just...so happy..!”

She’s...never had a friend before? I know she has trouble talking to people, but I didn’t think it was that serious. I smile gently and place a hand on her shoulder. “Of course you’re my friend. I want all of us to be friends.”

Giffany gets up from her seat, weakly clutching her drawing pad close. “I-I’m really, really sorry I’m making such an idiot of myself! I need to go calm down in my room. I...” Giffany doesn’t finish her sentence and instead hurries out of the room.

I knew Giffany could be emotional, but just telling her I think we’re friends seems to have really set her off. It didn’t seem to be bad, at least, but I’m definitely worried about what her homelife must be like. I decide to head out of the room as well.

I went into the hallway our bedrooms were in and noticed Cassidy was standing there, looking around.

“Hey, Cassidy, is something up?” I ask her.

She glances at me for only a moment. “Joshua went into his room to scour it. I decided I’d wait here for him. He wouldn’t let me in.”

“So...do you mind if we talk while you wait for him?”

“Is there something you needed to talk about with me?”

“I just wanted to talk, if that’s alright. Get to know you.”

Cassidy was silent for a few long moments. A sigh escapes her lips and she closes her eyes. “Fine, I suppose I have a bit of time to spare.”

I end up spending some time with Cassidy. I...think the two of us grew a little closer today. It’s much harder to tell with her.

“So Cassidy, how come you never told me what your talent is?” I ask her after some time.

Cassidy looks at me like I had just asked a stupid question then looks away again. “I don’t want to,” she says bluntly.

“Well...how did you get it off of the e-handbook? All of our profiles are there, but yours is missing your talent. Are you a hacker or something?”

She scoffs. “It’s probably just Mononuki going along with it. I’m not sure what his motives are yet...”

“Sounds like you have a lot to think about then,” I murmur softly. She seemed to be taking on a lot of responsibility for figuring this thing out. I could tell in the way she spoke about the tanuki.

“I’ll figure it out,” she assures. “Nothing slips past me without me catching it. So then, what about you? I want to know more about you, too, if we’re going to be talking.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, of course. You can go ahead and ask me anything you want to, Cass...idy.”

Cassidy flips open her notebook. “Good. Let’s start simple then. How did you get into fencing as a sport above anything else?”

“Oh, well...I suppose I always had a fascination with sword play. It was my favorite game to play with my friends and sister when I was little. We’d play pirates just so I could start fake sword fights with sticks. They all grew out of it, but my sister and I kept playing. When I learned that there was a sport all about sword fighting, I knew I had to join it.”

“You have a sister? What’s she like?”

“My younger sister, Violet, is way more energetic and outgoing than I am, if you can believe it. She’s also a bit of a weeb, which I think is why she ended up picking up kendo over fencing. If she’s at home, she spends all reading manga and watching anime with friends. She’s out of the house constantly with someone, so I don’t get to see her as much. Sometimes she likes to have surprise sword fights with me, too.”

Cassidy was writing everything down as I talked. She clearly had more of an interest in learning about others than others learning about her. I wonder why that was...

Joshua’s door opens and Cassidy’s eyes flicker away from me. She snaps her notebook closed. “We’ll have to pick this up another time, Wayne. Until then.” She turns and walks off. I give her a halfhearted wave and leave as well.

Cassidy was such a mysterious and distant person, but under that I could tell there was someone worth getting to know. Maybe I just had to help dig it out.

I end up heading to the library just to find Sasha there, drawing. I sit down next to her to see what she was making. It was a comic about the trial. She had other drawings laying out that she had already finished up.

Betty being found dead, everyone turning against me in the entrance hall, images of the trial...it seems this was her way of distracting herself.

I gently tap her shoulder and she jumps. She quickly looks my way and begins to relax with a soft sigh and a hand placed to her chest. “ _ You scared the heck out of me, Wayne, _ ” she scribbles down.

I smile sheepishly. “Sorry about that, Sasha. I didn’t mean to.”

She nods and looks down at her drawing. It was the end of the trial, when Francesca was about to be taken away and executed. The panic and fear etched on her face in her final moments were just as I remembered them. It must be burned into all of our minds.  _ “I need better ideas. This is too depressing. Help me brainstorm. _ ”

I smile softly. “I’d love to, Sasha. I don’t know how creative I’ll be, but I’ll help you all the same.”

Sasha grins and slides the paper away. She then flips to a fresh page in her sketchbook and sets it down on the table.

I spend time brainstorming comic ideas with Sasha. The two of us grew a little closer today.

Sasha finishes writing down the different ideas we had come up with and begins to collect her drawings. I gently tap her shoulder to get her attention. “Hey Sasha,” I ask, “what’s it like having Internet fame? You mentioned before it changed how people treated you at school, so I guess I’m curious.”

Sasha taps her chin for a moment, then flips to a new page to write “ _ It’s really nice most of the time. People buy my merchandise. They read my comics and tell me that they love them or that it makes their day. I’ve even been told some people started drawing because of me. It makes me so happy knowing my silly little comics can change people like that. _ ”

I couldn’t be shocked by that. Sasha was such a kind and sweet girl. It was easy to imagine her smiling when someone complimented her work or said something nice to her. I heard from some comments on social media she gets back to every person that leaves nice things or constructive criticism for her.

“That’s great to hear, Sasha! I’m kinda famous myself, but fencing isn’t the most popular of sports. I couldn’t imagine having a massive following like you.” In reality, my own following made me nervous enough as it was.

Sasha’s smile softens before continuing. “ _ It’s really nice, but...not everyone is so friendly. I get people calling me names or saying they hate my work. I’ve even had someone tell me I deserve to be deaf after I turned down a commission they wanted. I know that it’s just jerks trying to get a rise out of me. I always ignore it. But it can be tough sometimes.” _

I guess you can’t always escape bullying. The Internet is definitely not the place to do that sort of thing. “I’m sorry to hear you still have to put up with people treating you like that.”

_ “Another problem is the copycat accounts. People who pretend to be me and make other people believe they’re me. Or people faking my merchandise, or even just copying and tracing my comics. It can be such a problem. It has its ups and downs but honestly, my fans and my love of the art keeps me going anyway. _ ”

She must really love what she was doing to be able to power through so much hassle for it. “Well, I’m glad you manage to power through,” I say. “I bet fame like that can get awfully overwhelming, though.”

“ _ It’s worth it if it makes so many people happy, really. _ ”

I had no doubt Sasha believed that with all her heart.

She smiles and gets up from her seat.  _ “I’m going to go work in my room. Have a nice day, Wayne. _ ” She walks out of the library and I leave soon after.

I was making my way to the cafeteria, but I heard a commotion coming from the foyer. I hurry my way there, finding a crowd of people watching Joshua facing off against Jeremiah, Rick, and Sasha.

“I’m telling you all, they’re the ones that did this to us!” Joshua screams, pointing an accusing finger at the three. “They made the damn pancakes, so they poisoned them! The amount of people I trust here just dropped by three, so you all better stay the fuck away from me!”

“You’re such an idiot!” Jeremiah shoots back. Rick and Sasha try to hold him back, but he easily shakes their hands away and advances on Joshua. “Anyone could have poisoned that mix! We were planning to make those pancakes all day yesterday, anyone could have overheard us and done it!”

Joshua backs away defensively. “Then...Then I can’t trust any of you! I won’t trust any of you! I’m not going to die in this stupid game! I won’t be your ‘perfect victim’! I’m going to win if it’s the last thing I do! No matter what it takes!”

“Are you going to kill someone then?” Jeremiah presses.

Concern flashes across Joshua’s face. “I...”

“Hey, all of you! What’s going on here?!” I call out, making my way over to the group.

Jeremiah glances at me and backs up to stand next to his friends. “Joshua just decided to have a conniption because we  _ dared _ to be in the same room as him.”

“You’re...You’re still the prime suspect! You and your friends..!” Joshua demands. “I know I’m right and...and I won’t let any of you kill me to keep me quiet!”

“Joshua, you seriously need to calm down,” Rita says. “No one’s even feeling sick yet. Mononuki is probably just trying to scare us with this crap. All you’re doing is playing into his hands.”

“That’s bullshit! Of course we were poisoned! And I’m going to find the cure! I...I’ll make sure I don’t die here like the rest of you will!”

“That’s enough,” Patrick snaps. “All you’re doing is screeching your head off like a banshee. Rita makes a point. None of us have reported feeling any different, so--”

Patrick was cut off as coughing began to fill the air. All of us turned our heads to look at the source, which seemed to be coming from Harold.

The child prodigy was coughing into his elbow, but it didn’t seem to be stopping. He gasps, only to cough more. He falls to his hands and knees, coughing and wheezing. He pulls on the collar of his shirt, struggling to get a breath in as he coughs out every little bit of oxygen he could manage.

“Harold?!” Perry demands, rushing over to the side of his younger brother.

“I TOLD YOU!” Joshua screeches. “HE’S POISONED! ALL OF YOU ARE! BUT NOT ME! I’LL FIND THE CURE! I’LL FIND EVERY CURE! I WON’T DIE! KILL THE KID, HE’S WEAK! HE’LL BE THE ONE TO DIE! SO LEAVE ME ALONE!”

Joshua sprints out of the room, leaving our sights. No one bothers to chase him.

“Perry, help me get Harold to his feet,” Jess says, already trying to help the artist. “Let’s get him to your room. I’ll...find some cough medicine in the nurse’s station. Hopefully that works...”

Perry doesn’t say anything, merely giving a nod as him and Jess take Harold back to Perry’s room.

Whatever doubts there might have been about what Mononuki did to use were dashed now. Harold was the youngest of us all, it’s no surprise it got to him first. Who was going to feel it next? What happens if it gets to us all before we can find any of the cures..?

The crowd slowly disperses. I didn’t have an appetite now, so I decided to skip dinner. Instead, I go over to Nancy.

“Hey, Nance, with everything going on I...wanted to ask if you wanted to still meet up tonight.”

Nancy was staring off in the direction Harold, Jess, and Perry had gone with an intense look on her face. The glare relaxes when she looks down at me. “Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. Sure...I’ll meet ya there after dinner.”

The boxer trudges off to the cafeteria. She must be worried about Harold, too. I think all of us were. I decide to head to the gym for now and wait. I still didn’t want to use my fencing stuff, so I’d just have to do a basic regime again.

On my way to the gym, I heard a conversation going on inside the storage room, the door ajar. Was that...Cassidy and Patrick? I found myself stopping to listen in.

“I just want to know where you were last night,” Cassidy says calmly.

“I thought you said you weren’t going to enforce your curfew,” Patrick shoots back, sounding just as calm.

There’s a pause from Cassidy. “I’m not enforcing it, but I’m doing what I can to ensure the safety of everyone. That’s why the curfew is in place and why I want to know why you missed it.”

“So I didn’t answer the door. Is that such a crime?”

“Then where were you if not in your room?”

“Did I say I wasn’t in my room?”

Cassidy lets out a sigh. “Look, with what Mononuki pulled, I just--”

“If you’re going to interrogate me, you could at least do it in a more private place so people don’t decide to snoop on things that aren’t their business.”

My eyes widen a bit and my breath caught in my throat. Did...Did Patrick see me? I didn’t want to be caught by both of them at the same time, so I hurry off down the hall, trying to be as silent as I could when I slipped into the gym to wait for Nancy.

Nancy did show up next, even if I had gotten a little scared when the door opened. I was half expecting Cassidy or Patrick to come in and scold me. The two of us didn’t say much, whatever good mood we could have had was definitely ruined. As the two of us began deciding what to do tonight, the doors to the gym opened and Jess walked into the room.

“Oh, hey, Jess. Did you need something?” I ask.

“I...I was hoping I could join you two tonight,” she says. “I want to be stronger. So I can prevent someone from killing again. I couldn’t save Francesca but...maybe I can save the next person. Especially...with what’s going on...”

“Well...yeah, of course you can join us. Right, Nancy?” I look at the boxer.

“...if she can keep up,” Nancy says, but the wide smirk she had told me she was just joking.

Jess offers a smile. “Alright, I won’t disappoint you two!”

The three of us go through the group regime Nancy and I used with Betty. Jess struggled to keep up with us, not even making it to the numbers we were getting to before she was forced to give up.

The three of us decided to stop when Jess looked about ready to collapse.

“I don’t know...how you guys...manage to keep doing this...” Jess puffs. She wipes her forehead with the back of her hand. “I’ve never felt so sore...”

Nancy pats the babysitter’s back roughly with a wide grin on her face. “Just takes lots of practice! Keep it up like that and you’ll probably get past Wayne. Doesn’t look that hard.”

“I’m almost as good at this as you are, you know!” I demand.

“Whatever you say, runty!” Nancy ruffles my hair as she walks past me. “I’m gonna get to bed before the ice queen yaps my ear off. I’ll see you losers tomorrow!”

I head over to Jess to help her walk out back to bed now that Nancy had left.

“Hah...hah...thanks, Wayne...” Jess says with a weak smile. “I was supposed to...help Cassidy with the attendance again tonight but...I don’t think I can...”

“Don’t worry, I can help her with it. Let’s get you to your room first.”

I take Jess to her room and bid her a goodnight. I head to my own room next so I could shower before the announcement played. After I was cleaned up, I went into the hallway just in time for the screens to flicker on. “Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...I know I will.”

It wasn’t long after that played that Cassidy came into the hall. I could feel her eyes on me before she even said anything.

“Wayne? What are you doing here? Where’s Jessica?”

“Oh, Jess joined Nancy and me for our nightly exercises and she’s pretty beat so she went to bed already. I told her I’d fill in for the attendance duty.”

Cassidy glares at me silently before casting her gaze elsewhere. “So be it. Handle all the dorms on your side of the hall. I’ll handle the rest. Let me know who did or didn’t answer when you’re done.”

I give a nod and start knocking at doors to see who was or wasn’t there. I wasn’t too surprised that Patrick didn’t answer. Everyone else did answer, though, so I could at least account for them.

I head over to Cassidy once I had gotten done with the last room. “Everyone but Patrick answered their door.”

“Joshua didn’t answer his door,” Cassidy says. “I had lost track of him when he ran away earlier. I’ll have a talk with him tomorrow.”

“Is...that such a good idea?” I ask. “I mean, with the way he reacted and...the things he said...” What he said about Harold made my blood boil. I know he was scared, but to say something as awful as that about a kid...

“It’ll be fine. You can go to bed now. I’ll do the same. Goodnight, Wayne.”

“Yeah, goodnight...” I head to my bedroom and get into bed. I didn’t sleep very comfortably that night.


	14. Chapter 2: The Weak Won't Thrive - Daily Life Part III

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

The morning announcement woke me up as it usually did. However, I immediately realized just how terrible I felt. All of my muscles were sore and stiff. My throat was raw and I felt a cough coming up. The lights were a bit brighter than they should be and looking at them for too long made my head throb.

I grumble softly as I get up. It’s the poison working through me. But I can still function. As long as I can do that, I’m not going to stay down. I won’t give Mononuki the satisfaction.

I trudge my way to the cafeteria for breakfast. I didn’t have much of an appetite, but I had to eat. Besides, it was mandatory, and if I was well enough to get out of bed, I was well enough to sit down at a table for attendance.

Getting to the cafeteria, I see that some other people didn’t bother getting up today. Giffany, Joshua, Rick, and Harold never did show up. Perry did show up after everyone else, but he only came to get two plates of food and left almost immediately after. He didn’t say a word to any of us, not even a smile. Harold must still be in bad shape...

The rest of us ate what we could, but for some, that wasn’t much. A few of us didn’t even stay long for breakfast, such as Jeremiah and Patrick, who both left not too long after arriving. Even Cassidy and Nancy seemed more out of it than usual.

I was trying to choke down some oatmeal I had made for myself when Jeremiah returned to the cafeteria. He looked frazzled. “Hey, we...have a complication in the library. You should all come see this.”

“I-Is someone dead already?!” Tyler demands in a panic.

Rita takes his hands and makes him look at her. “Hey, he didn’t say that, Ty. Just relax...”

Jeremiah shakes his head. “No, it’s not that serious.”

Cassidy’s brows furrow. “What kind of issue is it then?”

“It’s just...” Jeremiah is interrupted by a series of harsh coughing. He simply gestures for us to follow and heads out of the room. Whatever it was he wanted to show us was waiting, and that was enough to get everyone to follow him.

Opening the doors to the library revealed what Jeremiah had seen. The entire room looked like a tornado had torn through it. Books were strewn around in messy piles, leaving many of the shelves barren. The various pieces of furniture in the room had been turned over, and one of the chairs was sliced open, revealing the stuffing inside of it. It didn’t seem like anything in the room had been left in place.

“What...What happened in here..?” Jess asks in shock.

“ _It wasn’t like this yesterday_ ,” Sasha writes quickly.

“...it must have happened last night,” Cassidy says. “Someone most likely ransacked the place looking for a cure.”

“But the chair is torn open,” Jeremiah points out. “That should be breaking the rules. And that would mean...”

“The rules say mindless destruction. Searching for a cure Mononuki left us isn’t mindless...”

So...that was it? Someone was just trying to find a cure in here? “Cassidy, do you think it was someone who missed your curfew attendance?”

“It could have been anyone after I had gone to bed, but the possibility is high...” Cassidy ponders. “No one here seems to be feeling any better. I suppose I could try to question some of the others about--” Cassidy was cut off as a high-pitched scream cut through the air.

“That sounded like Giffany!” Rita yelps.

“She must be in trouble! We have to hurry!” I say.

That was enough to get all of us to run out of the library and towards the direction of the sound. It had come from the nurse’s station. Upon entering it, we see...

Another mess. All of the cabinets were opened, with the bottles that had been inside knocked over or laying on the floor in various states of broken. Boxes containing medical equipment such as gauze or bandages have been ripped open and tossed around. The beds in the room were turned over and the curtains had even been pulled down. Sitting on the floor in front of the mess was Giffany, her eyes wide and her body shaking.

I was quick to try and get the NEET back to her feet. “Giff, are you alright?!”

“I-I just...wanted some aspirin and...and I saw the mess and...I-I swear I didn’t do this! It wasn’t me! I’m sooooorryyyyyy!”

Giffany was crying already and Jess took over trying to comfort her. Cassidy lets out a sigh and puts a head to her head. “It seems like the library wasn’t the only place struck...I suggest we do a sweep first and foremost. It would be best to assess the damages done to the school. We should treat it like an investigation and try to deduce a culprit before going further. I’ll split us up for this to make it faster.”

Cassidy had us split up into two groups from there. I went upstairs with Nancy, Sasha and Jeremiah while she stayed downstairs with Jess, Tyler, Rita, and Giffany. The first room on the floor was the rec room, so I tried to enter it while the others took on the other rooms. However, I immediately found the door to be stuck.

“Huh?” I twist the knob with no problem, but when I push on the door, it wouldn’t budge. It can’t be locked, but could it really be stuck?

“Get away from the door!” A voice cries out from the inside after my third attempt.

“...Joshua? Is that you? Are you stuck in there?”

“Stuck? No, I locked myself in, you idiot! That way, none of you can get to me! I don’t trust those stupid bedrooms to keep me safe anymore! With that door barricaded, you’ll never get in!”

What..? “Joshua, what are you talking about? You’re being crazy, open the door! Someone trashed the place!”

“I didn’t trash it!” he shoots back. “I was searching for the cures while you idiots wasted your time sleeping!”

“That was you? Wait....cures? How many did you find?!”

“As many as I could! And guess what? I found _all_ of them! I found each and every one and they’re all mine! Now I won’t die! Even if one of you tries to poison me all over again, I’ll just cure myself again! So just back off!”

He can’t be serious! That...That _bastard_! Rage bubbled in my chest as I spoke. “Joshua, there already wasn’t enough for everyone! How could you go around and just take all of them like that?!”

“If you’re all too weak, then none of you will be able to kill me! It’s as simple as that! I’ve officially won this round of the game and there’s nothing any of you can do about it!”

“Dammit, Joshua, this isn’t just a game!” I slam my fist against the door. “And you did that last night?! We were supposed to be in bed!”

“Only an idiot that wants to die would be some place so predictable!” he shoots back. “I don’t have to follow your rules! I don’t have to follow anyone’s rules! The only way to win in life is to make your own rules, Wayne, and that’s exactly what I did! Now none of you can ever kill me, so one of you better hurry up and drop dead already!”

Nancy walks over to me, frowning. “Hey, what the hell is with all the screaming?”

“Joshua decided to find all the cures while we were sleeping and barricaded himself in the rec room with them...”

“What? All of them?!” She bangs on the door loudly. “Josh, you snake, open the fucking door!”

“Never! You can’t make me!”

That answer didn’t sit well with Nancy. It wasn’t long before she was trying to break the room down with brute force, which brought the attention of just about everyone else. And once they learned of what was happening, things didn’t get to settle down.

People were yelling at Joshua, banging on the door, trying to get in some way. But whatever he did to barricade it worked and we couldn’t force the door open. He also stopped responding to us at all.

I had moved back when the group took over, only a few others in the back like Jess, Sasha, and Giffany. My rage was beginning to melt into worry. Just about everyone seemed totally enraged, and all of that anger was directed to Joshua, who was just...scared. He was scared, like the rest of us, and did the one thing he thought would keep him safe. I didn’t agree with it whatsoever, but still...all this fighting and yelling...

“Guys, hey, stop!” I finally yell out over the crowd. “This is just what Mononuki wants us to do! That’s why he gave us the cures, so we’d fight over them!”

“He didn’t give us the cures so this jackass could hog all of them!” Rita shoots back at me.

“And is freaking Joshua out going to make him help us at all?! He’s not going to come out if you’re all acting like this.”

“We wouldn’t be acting like this if he hadn’t done something this selfish in the first place!”

“I know, but—“

“God, if you’re going to take his side this much, then forget it. Come on, Tyler...” Rita grabs her boyfriend’s hand and the two leave. That was enough to get the others to start leaving, but some of them shot me a dirty glare as they did. A deep sigh heaves out of me.

There was still someone left after most others had gone, looking as calm as ever—Cassidy.

“You’re not angry?” I ask her. “I thought you’d be pissed...”

“Why would I be? He made a glaring mistake”

“No, I didn’t!” Joshua’s voice pipes up from behind the door. “I have all the cures, plenty of entertainment, and no way for any of you idiots to get in here! I even have a weapon as a last resort if any of you try to get handsy! I’ve won, so go ahead and face the truth!” Of course he was finally responding again just to gloat. It’s not going to help his case.

“Joshua, you said you had done the hunting last night, right?”

“Yeah, duh, it’s when all of you idiots were asleep. And as soon as I had everything, I locked myself in here before any of you woke up!”

“So that means the cafeteria was closed when you had decided to lock yourself in there?”

“Well, yeah. What kind of stupid question is that?”

“What do you plan to eat while you stay locked away from us all?”

There’s a long pause from Joshua. In fact, he never does end up replying to Cassidy’s question.

“Let’s get going,” Cassidy says. “There’s not much else to do here.”

“Ah...yeah, right...” I murmur. I follow Cassidy back to the stairwell, where she then speaks to me.

“He has some ingenuity, I’ll give him that,” Cassidy comments as she writes in her notebook. “But he’s still a panicked child prone to simple mistakes. He’ll most likely come out of the room when he gets hungry.”

“What should we do then? Grab him or something so we can talk some sense into him?”

“No. We’re going to take the cures he found. One each.”

“Huh? But Mononuki said we can’t trade!”

“It’s not trading. It’s stealing. If Joshua wants to bend the rules for his own purposes, we can, too.”

“Hold on, I don’t want to stoop to his level. And--what about the others? How will we get them any cures if it’s just us?”

“It’ll be fine. With the two of us healthy and able-bodied and Joshua hiding in the rec room, keeping the others under control will be simple enough. We can take the time to find out more or secure some sort of strategy. Besides....I won’t be able to do it alone, and you mentioned before I could come to you if I needed...help. I suppose this is the time for that.”

I frown. What she said made some sense, but I didn’t want to just leave the others feeling sick. I couldn’t do that to them.

“There...There must be some way to get all of the cures and administer them somehow,” I say.

“Even if there is, there isn’t nearly enough. We’d have to find some way to determine who should or shouldn’t get a cure, and all that will do is cause more infighting and other serious issues with keeping everyone in check. Isn’t that what you just said Mononuki wanted?”

“Well...yeah...” Still...I couldn’t possibly agree with doing this. But at the same time, if we could somehow confront Joshua and get some of the cures away from him, I could try to help the people doing the worst, like Harold. I might not fully agree with her but...Cassidy had the best plan of action right now.

“I...I guess we don’t have any choice but to try something...” It was for everyone’s sake. I was doing this to help everyone. “...when should we do it? When do you think he’ll try to leave for food?”

“Not today,” Cassidy ponders. “Not after the way the others behaved and having the revelation of his mistake made so clear to him this early. He’ll most likely strike tomorrow. That will be the time for us to move in. The best course of action would be to stake a watch on the door and wait for him to leave. Then we’ll move in when he’s gone.”

“And...you really trust me to do this with you?”

Cassidy pauses for a while. We reach the bottom of the stairs and she glances at me. “...you proved you have worth in the trial the other day. I can’t do this alone, and you’re one of the few people I think could accomplish a job like this without messing it up. I don’t have a lot of choices...”

I let out a small sigh and cross my arms. “I just want to help the others...I don’t agree with the idea of leaving them all to suffer, but...this is our only option...”

“Then meet me in the art room after breakfast tomorrow. We’ll hold our stakeout there.”

I nod. “Alright, agreed. I’ll...see you then, Cassidy.”

“Until then.” Cassidy walks out of the stairwell, leaving me there alone. I wasn’t in any condition to be thinking of a plan, and by tomorrow, I doubt I’ll be feeling well enough for much. A sneaky stakeout seems like the only option. Still, I...I have to try and grab an extra cure. At least for Harold...seeing Perry act the way he did today made me worry about both of them...

Tension hung in the air, but I was well enough to go about my day and I didn’t have anything serious going on until tomorrow. I guess I’ll spend my time with some of the others.

[FREE TIME - START!]

I had gone to one of the classrooms on the first floor, just to poke around a little. I found Rita was in one of them, sitting at a desk with a book she had taken from one of the shelves in the room.

“Rita, hey there. Find something cool to read?” I ask her.

She perks up when I spoke and smiles. “Oh, just a biology textbook I found. I wanted to see what kind of information it had on plants.”

“Ah, bio...never really got a good grade in that class.”

“Want to read some of it with me? I know we don’t really have any classes, but I can still use a study buddy.”

I don’t know if studying is something I’d consider a fun activity, but I could use some normalcy right now. Besides, Rita could have some interesting insight on certain aspects of biology.

I spend some time studying with Rita. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“Sooooo, Wayne, I have something really important I want to ask you,” Rita says after some time.

One of my brows arch as she says that. “Really? Sure, lay it on me then.”

Rita puts her head in her hands. “I want you to answer super truthfully but...do you have a crush on anyone here?”

My cheeks start to burn immediately. “H-Huh? A crush? Why would you ask me something like that?”

“Aw, c’mon, it’s just a bit of conversation! If you’re worried, I promise to keep it just between me and my plants! I won’t breathe a word of it to a soul!”

“I...that’s not...” She really caught me off guard with a question like that. Why is she even asking me? “I don’t think...this is the kind of situation where I’d be thinking about this kind of thing...”

“So is that a no oooor...” Rita grins wide, leaning toward me as she waited for a reply.

“It’s...not really something I want to talk about. Why do you want to know so badly, anyway?”

Rits pouts and slumps back into her seat when I refuse to indulge her. “I’m just a bit of a gossip is all...but that’s not such a bad thing, huh? I just use it to talk to my plants. It helps stimulate growth. In fact, the voice of a woman works even better than a guy’s, so I make sure to do all the talking when Tyler is around the greenhouse.”

That makes sense, sure, but I really don’t see why she’d have to ask me something like that while we’re stuck in here without her plants. I wonder if she gossip’s with Tyler, then. Rita suddenly doesn’t seem like the type to trust a secret with.

“I think I’ll go ahead and get out of your hair,” I say. “It was nice talking to you, Rita. Maybe next time we can talk about something else though?”

“Sure, sure!” Rita smiles again. “If you’re too nervous to talk about your crush, I totally get it!”

“But that’s not why I...ah, nevermind. I’ll see you later.” I head out of the room, rubbing my cheeks to try and get the blush to go away.

I enter the kitchen and find Rick rummaging around in the cabinets. He pulls out a box of cookies and starts trying to pry open the top. I clear my throat.

He jumps and yelps, dropping the box and spilling cookies onto the floor. He spins around to face me. I could see him relax just a little when he sees me. “Oh, Wayne. It’s just you,” he says with a sigh.

I smile a bit. “Well, glad to know I’m not someone that scares you, then.”

Rick smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of his head. “Uh...yeah, guess not.” Why did he sound so unsure? He picks up the box of cookies and looks at the mess on the floor with a slight frown.

“Hey, I’ll help you clean this up,” I assure. “I made you dropit, after all.”

“Ah...thanks, that’ll be a big help.”

I get down on the floor with Rick to start picking up cookies. I spend time cleaning the floor with Rick. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“So Rick, you said you’re the Ultimate Luckster. How does that work?” I ask after we managed to get most of the cookies thrown away.

Rick was sweeping up crumbs with some paper towels since we couldn’t find a broom. He grabs the box once he finishes to fish out one of the remaining cookies as he mulls over how to answer what I asked. “Well, I guess the best way to explain it is...how the program explained it to me. I’m a person who experienced an abnormal amount of luck. Most people get the title Lucky Student, but those people usually experience good luck and sometimes small amounts of bad luck. I got that too, of course. But I also have extremely bad luck. And they’ve told me my luck is contagious. So uh...I’m an oddball even for people with this title. People who win the lottery get to be an Ultimate person automatically, but since it’ll be my title forever, they like to..check on that kind of stuff.”

He chuckles nervously and stuffs another cookie into his mouth. I nod as I think it over. I think I understood what all of that meant. I wonder what kind of life a person like that even lives.

“So, how do you know all this stuff? That’s...a lot of information to know.”

Rick tugs on the drawstrings of his hoodie. “Oh, well, uh...experience, I guess. When you live your entire life like this, you just kinda pick up on the details over time.”

That did make some sense, but it brought up another idea to my mind. “Did you ever think...maybe you don’t actually have luck?”

“Uh...what do you mean?” Rick’s brows furrowed in confusion. “I know I have luck. So much stuff happens in my life and...to everyone around me. And if the TYCP thinks I have it then...”

“I guess you’re right,” I say, drawing his thoughts away from it. “Just a weird thing to think about.” Inherent luck from birth, huh? Just how does anyone measure a thing like that?

Rick seems a bit stressed out now. He pulls another cookie out of the box. It had a couple of ants on it. He gags and drops it back in, throwing the whole box away along with the cookies that we’d already pitched. “God, that's disgusting! I’m gonna be sick!” He runs out before I could call out to him.

I didn’t get to ask for any more details. He seems to know how his luck works, but how’d he ever get to a conclusion like that? Just what is his daily life like?

I walked into the storage closet, noticing Tyler was there at the moment. He had a nail sticking out of his mouth as he rummaged around in boxes while sitting on the floor.

“Looking for something there?” I ask.

“Ah, hey Wayne.” He gives me a slight wave, but was clearly more focused on his search. “I was just...trying to find some nails. I figured there’d be a box of them around here somewhere but...” He looks at the shelves full of various items with a sad glance.

“Well...I bet I could help you, if you want. It’ll go faster if the two of us look together, right?”

“Oh, no, I-I couldn’t ask you to do something like that, Wayne! Really! I...I can handle this all on my own, honestly!”

“Hey, it’s no big deal. I don’t mind lending a helping hand. I’m offering, so it’s okay, right?”

“Well...I guess so...” Tyler didn’t look entirely convinced, but I simply took a box and sat down with him to begin searching. Hopefully he’ll relax once he gets back into it.

I spend some time rummaging around with Tyler. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“You know, you and Rita are really cute, Tyler,” I mention offhandedly.

A dark blush crosses the carpenter’s face. “H-Huh? You think so..?”

I smile a little. “Yeah, totally. I bet being a carpenter means you can make her swoon over all kinds of presents you made.”

“Oh, I uh...my stuff’s not really that good, I just...” Tyler looks away, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “I wouldn’t...want to give her any of my junk...”

“Huh?” That’s not what I was expecting to hear. “But, you’re the Ultimate Carpenter, aren’t you? You must be amazing with woodworking!”

“Yeah, well, it’s just...that’s what everyone says but I never... _feel_ that, I guess.” Tyler keeps his eyes away from my own. “I don’t know what everyone sees in it...”

“Well...do you have any examples you can show me? I’d like to see some of the stuff you’ve made before.”

Tyler looks up at me, but only for a moment. He lets out a sigh and rummages in his pocket. He produces a small cat figurine, made entirely of wood. He shows it to me, the red on his face growing deeper.

“Woah...Tyler, that looks adorable! You made that?”

“I-It’s...nothing special,” Tyler murmurs. “It’s...something I made a long time ago for Rita. But I...couldn’t find the right time to give it to her.”

“Why not for a birthday? Or Valentine’s day?”

“And...And just hand something dumb like this over?! She’ll laugh in my face! It’s...agh, it’s not good enough for Rita! She deserves a lot better...” Tyler quickly shoves the little figurine away in his pocket again. He was clearly very flustered now.

“Ty, I’m sure she’d love anything you gave her. Wouldn’t she?”

Tyler is quiet for a moment. “...I...I doubt it. Someday I’ll make her something that she deserves, just...not yet...” He gets up and makes his way over to the door. “Thanks for trying to help, Wayne. I’ll see you later...”

Tyler left me alone there, dumbfounded. That figurine was amazing. It was small, but well crafted and detailed. If he didn’t think that was good enough for Rita, then what was? Maybe I’ll ask him another time.

I head to the cafeteria to get some dinner, but the throbbing headache I’d been developing as the day went on was making that a bit difficult. I had to stop in the foyer and lean against the wall, rubbing my temples in a vain attempt to make the pain subside.

I don’t know how long I was out there like that, but I was pulled out of it by a hand on my shoulder.

“Wayne, somethin’ up?” Nancy asks. “Ya look like shit.”

“Ah...” I push off the wall to try and stand on my own. “It’s just my head. I’ve got this killer migraine...”

Nancy huffs through her nose. “Yeah, I know whatcha mean. My head’s been killin’ me all day...”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to show up to the gym tonight, Nance. I’m sorry, I just...”

“Look, it’s fine. It’s not good to exercise when you feel this bad. We’ll take a breather for now and get back to it when everyone is better. If that stupid Joshua hadn’t stolen all those cures then...” She lets out another huff. “I’m gonna pumble that scrawny asshole when he shows his face to me next.”

“You really shouldn’t try to antagonize him,” I warn her. “Weren’t the two of you friends before?”

“Yeah, _before_. Now the little shit stain is makin’ things harder for everyone else. So he better stay hidden, cause I’ll show him what’ll happen when he shows his damn face again!”

“Well...just try to get some rest. I think I’m skipping dinner tonight, I need some sleep.” If I’m going to be feeling terrible, I need rest before my plan with Cassidy tomorrow.

“Yeah, sure thing, man. I’ll...see you later.” Nancy nods and heads into the cafeteria. I make my way to the dorm rooms.

I pause as I enter the hallway. I wanted to just go to bed, but there was one more thing I wanted to check on before bed. I head to Perry’s room and knock on the door. “Hey, Perry, are you in there? It’s Wayne.”

After a moment, the door opens a crack. Perry’s weary face fills the space, but I couldn’t see into the room. “Yes, hello...is something the matter?”

“I was just wanting to check up on you and Harold. I know things are rough and I wanted to know if I could help at all.”

I could hear some harsh coughing from the room and Perry turns his head for a moment to look back at something. He returns his attention to me when the noise dies down. “I...I have it handled. Young Harold is my responsibility, and I want to be the one there for him. I thank you greatly for your concern, noble knight, but I am capable.”

“But what about you? I mean, I don’t know if you--” I stop as I felt some uncontrollable coughing come out of me. The hall was starting to spin and I keep my balance with my hand on the wall. “...I just...want to make sure you’re feeling well enough.”

“I’m very capable of taking care of my own brother, thank you. I just--” Perry yawns and rubs his eyes with the back of his hand. “...I’ll get some rest, if that would make you feel better.” He offers a weary smile.

“Alright...oh, I should let you know about what’s going on with Joshua.”

Perry’s smile turns into a frown. “The icy mistress was kind enough to enlighten those of us that were exempt from that little... _stunt_.”

“Ah, right...in that case, I’ll leave you alone for now. I’m turning in early tonight.”

“Rest well, noble knight. Many thanks for your concern.” Perry shuts the door and I head to my room.

I trudge my way into bed, letting out a sigh as I did. The room was starting to spin and my head didn’t feel any better. Hopefully I wouldn’t be kept up with coughing either, I was going to need as much rest as I could get if I was going to be like this tomorrow during the stakeout with Cassidy.

I managed to fall asleep before the nighttime announcement ever played, but it wasn’t a very good sleep.

...

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

The announcement was enough to stir me from my unrestful sleep. Cassidy wanted to meet after breakfast, so I’d have to go there first and leave with her.

I get out of bed and stagger, using my dresser to prop myself up. My body felt weak and difficult to move in. I wasn’t as dizzy as before, but my head definitely hurt. The coughing I had to deal with was almost debilitating, too. Grabbing one of those cures for myself wasn’t sounding like such a bad idea anymore...

I managed to get out of the room and wander down the hall, but I needed to take another break in the foyer. I really hope this plan works, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle something going wrong.

Getting to the cafeteria, I practically collapse into a chair now. Only Cassidy, Nancy, and Perry were there right now. But Perry’s stay was short lived, since he left the room with two plates of food just like yesterday. I’ve never seen him so intense...

Cassidy was sitting back in her chair, her eyes closed with a pained expression. She was suffering, too. She probably didn’t even bother taking any attendance today.

She didn’t seem to notice when Nancy left the room, so I had to get up and walk over to her. “Hey, Cass, Nance just left.”

Cassidy’s eyes open and she looks up at me. “Yes, and..?”

What? Did she forget or something? How bad was this poison anyway..? “We should get going then, so we can do the stakeout for Joshua.”

“Ah, right...” Cassidy’s gaze flickers away. “...let’s get going then.” She gets to her feet slowly, putting a hand to her head with a wince. “Ngh...”

“Hey, if you need some help, I can--”

“I’m fine,” she snaps. “I’m...fine. Come on.” Cassidy straightens out her back and marches out of the cafeteria, looking through her notebook as she does. I do my best to follow after her.

The stairway was empty as we entered and made our way up. “We should go to the closest room to where Joshua is for this,” Cassidy says. “We’ll be able to keep an ear out there and he won’t be able to see us.”

I nod in agreement. “Then let’s get to the art room quietly.”

We reach the second floor and move as silently as possible so Joshua wouldn’t be able to hear us. The two of us enter the art room, leaving the door open a crack so we could listen out into the hallway for him. The room was actually fairly well cleaned up, to my surprise. There was still a few things scattered around, an easel on the floor, the stack of paint cans had been knocked down. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be.

The two of us now just had to wait, which was done in relative silence. Cassidy was flipping through her journal while I had decided to busy myself by restacking some paint cans that had been knocked down nearby and hanging up some of the portraits closest to me. A couple hours went by for us before we heard the sound of a door open. I opened my eyes and Cassidy closed her journal, putting a finger to her lips as she looked at me.

I remain silent as Cassidy peeks out of the crack in the door. I could hear the sound of footsteps, but they were growing distant. When the sound was finally gone, Cassidy opens the door and gestures for me to follow as she heads out. I make sure to follow behind her.

Sure enough, the hall was empty, and when Cassidy tried the door, it opened without an issue, allowing the two of us to walk in.

The room was mostly clean, with a chair near the door that was most likely used to keep it locked from the inside. The rest of the room was neat and tidy, nothing looking seriously out of place.

“He must have hidden the cures somewhere,” Cassidy says. “Let’s search for them.”

I nod in agreement and the two of us start looking around the room, careful not to disturb anything as we search for anything. But...there was no sign of the cures in the room at all. The only thing we find is one empty test tube.

“Dammit!” Cassidy says. “He...He must have them with him...” She puts a hand to her head and closes her eyes with a groan.

I had to cough before I was able to answer her. “What...What should we do..?”

“...we should wait for him to come back. We can try to get them off of him there.”

I frown as I look around the room one more time. There’s no way we could do that and have it end well. My eyes stop at the couch. “Wait, let me check one more place...” I walk over and remove the cushions. Under them were a handful of cures, six in total. One of them seemed to be empty, though. “Cass, I—” I was forced into some intense coughing, so Cassidy came over to see for herself.

“Grab one,” she says with a rasp as she tries to suppress her own cough.

The two of us take one each. Cassidy replaces the cushion and drags me into the hall again, careful to leave the door the way she found it. I wasn’t able to grab an extra...

I try to head back to the art room, but Cassidy stops me. “No, not there.”

“Huh? Why not, we were in there before.”

“Joshua will most likely notice the cures are gone when he gets back to the room and will come looking for us. We should be somewhere we can hide while we wait for the cures to take effect. The computer room is the best place for that.”

She makes a good point, and who knows what Joshua will do if he’s still irrational. Even with two of us, if we aren’t feeling better, facing off against him could be a problem. I nod in agreement and the two of us head further down the hall.

Once we were in the computer room, Cassidy immediately uncorks her test tube and downs the contents. She did it without even a second thought. I’ve never seen her act so desperate.

I look down at my own cure. It was filled with a murky liquid of some kind, probably with a powder mixed in. I let out a sigh and open it up, taking it myself.

Cassidy corks her cure again. “I’m sure it’ll take some time for it to work. We should wait here to be sure we don’t run into Joshua, especially if he has a weapon.”

“Yeah...” My head still hurt and I lean against the wall for support. The two of us wait a little while, and soon enough, footsteps could be heard in the hallway. They stop, but we never hear the door close. I glance at Cassidy and she peeks out into the hallway.

“There’s no one there,” she says. “I don’t think it was Joshua...”

“Maybe someone saw him downstairs and decided to do the same thing we did,” I suggest.

Cassidy just looks away again, crossing her arms. “Maybe...”

We hear more footsteps and they stop again, shorter this time. Another set starts up a few minutes after that. Before long, there was a voice, too.

“I didn’t leave the door--HEY, WHO’S IN THERE? I’M GOING TO--” There’s a loud crash and two thuds and Joshua stopped talking.

I could feel panic swelling up inside of me. What just happened? Was Joshua..? I moved fast, throwing open the door to the computer room and hurrying out before Cassidy could stop me. Joshua was laying in the doorway, red pooling around his head. I move over to his body, crouching down and putting my fingers to his neck. I could feel a pulse.

I look back to the computer room. “CASSIDY, GET OUT HERE! SOMEONE TRIED TO Ghhk--!” There was a horrible pain in the back of my head suddenly, only allowing me to let out a grunt before everything went black.

...

I let out a low groan, the splitting pain in my head almost unbearable. My eyes blink open weakly, the room spiraling around me and the lights far too bright, blurring my vision. I weakly reach up to touch my head, wincing as I was immediately shocked by more pain.

Something moves past me, but I could barely recognize that fact. I couldn’t even see whatever it was. Just two shapes that were there and then gone. Agh...my head hurts so much. What...happened..?

...Joshua, Cassidy! They both came to mind immediately. I groan and roll onto my stomach, weakly shoving myself to my feet. I stumble and crash into a wall with a grunt, but I was able to keep myself standing up using it. “C...Cass...Josh...?”

There was someone laying on the floor in a doorway. I had to get closer to realize it was Cassidy in the doorway of the computer room. I slump down to my knees next to her, my mind still swirling. Was she dead? Did someone kill her? Dear god, please don’t let her be dead! I grab onto her tightly and shake her. “Cass...Cassidy, wake up! Please, wake up!”

Cassidy’s hand grabs onto my wrist tightly. “Stop...Stop shaking me...”

I do as she asks, instead pulling her into a tight hug. She was alive. Cassidy was still alive. I was so happy she was still alive!

Cassidy was less happy. She shoves me away from her and pulls herself back to her feet. “Someone...attacked me after you screamed. You said something about...Joshua...”

“Joshua was lying on the floor over—” I look to the doorway of the rec room, but it was empty. “...huh..? He...He was right there, I swear. Someone must have...moved him.”

“We have to find him,” she says. “Can you walk?”

I nod and the two of us carefully make our way down the hall. I spare a glance into the rec room, but it was empty. Cassidy’s gaze was fixed on the art room, the door left ajar. She makes her way over to it and I follow. She pushes the door open. In the back of the room, on the table, there was a lump of some kind wrapped up in a tarp.

I look at Cassidy, unsure of what to say. But she was moving forward, unbothered, and I merely follow her. We approach the tarp and Cassidy reaches out, gently pulling away the top of it. And as soon as she does...

**Ding-Dong~! Bing-Bong~!**

The screens flicker to life around the school as Mononuki’s face filled them. “Heeeey, everyone. So uh...it looks like a body’s been discovered. After a certain amount of time, we’ll start the trial...”

The lifeless face of **Joshua Price, the Ultimate Cheater** , was starting back at us, his head soaked a bloody red.


	15. Chapter 2: The Weak Won't Thrive - Deadly Life Investigation

**Chapter 2: The Weak Won’t Thrive [Deadly Life - START!]**

I take a few steps away from the table, putting a hand over my mouth. “O-Oh my god...”

Cassidy grits her teeth, clutching the tarp tightly in her hands. “Dammit...this wasn’t supposed to...”

“The...The others...” I say. “They’re going to come here and...and see this. We should...”

“There’s nothing to do,” Cassidy says. She releases the tarp, letting it dangle off the table and leave Joshua’s face exposed. “He’s dead...the only thing we can do is investigate.”

He’s...dead. Joshua is dead. I...I tried so hard to prevent it. “I could have saved him. If...If I had moved him when I first saw him instead of just sitting there, I...”

“Wayne, enough,” Cassidy snaps. “He’s dead. That’s it. The only thing we can do now is solve this case.”

“...I...I know. I’m sorry...” I don’t know if I can calm down right now, but I have to investigate. For Joshua...for the others...

“Everyone else will probably be a while if they’re only just now receiving their cures,” Cassidy says. “We have time to investigate alone.”

“Right, got it. Let’s...get this over with.” Here I was again. Forced to investigate another corpse for another murder.

“I think I can help with that,” Mononuki’s voice says from behind us.

The two of us turn around to see him standing there, looking sleepy as ever. “I have for you...the next Monofile!  _ Yaaawn~ _ ”

“Right...great...” I mutter. I check on my e-handbook to see that it was ready for viewing.

_ Monofile #2 _

_ The victim of this case is Joshua Price, the Ultimate Cheater. Joshua was found in the art room. The cause of death is blunt force trauma to the back of the head. The estimated time of death is 12:23 pm. _

Why did this one feel shorter than the last..? I look up, but Mononuki had already left the room. Well...whatever, if something is missing, then we can figure it out at the trial. The information it does have is good all the same.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Monofile #2**

_ Monofile #2 _

_ The victim of this case is Joshua Price, the Ultimate Cheater. Joshua was found in the art room. The cause of death is blunt force trauma to the back of the head. The estimated time of death is 12:23 pm. _

_ Something’s missing though... _

I was honestly happy that damn tanuki was gone right now. We had almost been close to restoring some order amongst the group and Mononuki had to come in and ruin it. He seems so harmless but...he’s smart. He clearly knows how to drive wedges between the group and will do what he can to get it done. How...can we ever fight back?

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I can’t lose focus right now. It’s time to investigate.

I start with the body, walking over to the corpse again. Joshua was laying atop the table that used to be filled with art supplies. All of the supplies had been knocked to the floor now, but they weren’t like that before. He was wrapped up in a bundle with a tarp, which I could recognize as the one that used to cover most of this room’s floor thanks to all the paint stains on it. But why was he wrapped up at all..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Tarp**

_ The tarp normally used for the floor of the art room is now used to wrap up Joshua’s body. _

Getting a closer look, I could see his head was soaked a bright red. I could tell it was blood from the smell...wait, that’s not the only thing. Along with a strong copper odor, there was also the smell of...paint. It was definitely coming from Joshua but I don’t see any on him.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Smell of Paint**

_ For some reason, Joshua smells vaguely of paint. _

I pull the tarp open more, just so I could get a better look at the rest of Joshua. His body seemed clean and untouched, other than the red stains covering his clothes from his chest up. The smell of paint was getting stronger now.

I hesitate, but ultimately, I end up checking his pockets. I pull out an empty test tube. Another of the cures...was this the one Joshua took, then?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Used Cure**

_ Joshua had an empty test tube in his pocket. It looked the same as the ones used for the cures. _

I didn’t see anything else of note, so I decide to wrap up Joshua the same way I found him. I wanted to be sure the others could investigate when they got here.

I look to Cassidy, who was busy studying Joshua’s head. She was carefully moving it around and inspecting it. I felt a little sick seeing her do that...

“Wayne,” she says after a moment. “Come here. I want to show you something.”

My stomach flips a few times, but I manage a nod. I walk over to her and look at Joshua’s head. “What’s...What’s the problem?”

“There are two wounds here from what I’ve found. See?” Cassidy moves Joshua’s hair aside in a few places, and sure enough, I could see two different wounds. One on top of his head and one on the back of his head.

“So he was struck twice?” I ask her. “But...why?”

“We can ask those questions in the trial.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Joshua’s Wounds**

_ There are two injuries on Joshua’s head. One on the top and one on the back. _

“Hey, Cassidy, before the others get here, I want to ask...how much do you remember before you got attacked? I found you unconscious outside the computer room when I woke up...”

Cassidy glances up from her notepad, which she was already writing in, when I spoke to her. “What do I remember? Well...” She pauses to think on it. “...I remember the stakeout in the art room. We agreed to do it in the stairwell the day before. We had gotten a cure each after Joshua left and we went to the computer room to take them. Then we heard footsteps for a while before Joshua had screamed and we heard the two thuds. Then you had called out to me. Something about Joshua. When you went quiet, I had waited for a few moments because I heard footsteps. I thought it was you coming back to get me, but when the door opened...” She trails off. “...the next thing I remember was a horrible pain in my head and then you were shaking me.”

So she didn’t get a chance to see her attacker, either. That’s only going to make this more difficult, then. I should try to keep this in mind, though. At least it gives me more of a picture as to what happened.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Stakeout**

_ Cassidy and I had gone on a stakeout in the art room for Joshua, which we agreed upon in the stairwell the day before it happened. When he had left to get food, the two of us entered the rec room and taken one cure each. We went back to the computer room to take them. While there, we heard footsteps for a while in the hallway, as if someone was going between rooms. We eventually heard Joshua scream and two thuds rang out. I went out to investigate, finding Joshua laying on the ground. I had tried to call out for Cassidy, but I was knocked out. Cassidy had stayed in the computer room and was eventually knocked out as well. _

“Is there anything that you remember?” Cassidy asks. “You saw Joshua before he was moved here, didn’t you? Anything of note?”

Ah, she’s right. Joshua was moved from his place in front of the rec room to the table here in the art room. Maybe if I think back on it...

“...I...It’s kind of fuzzy right now. But...I think he was laying on top of the tarp in the hall. He was still alive when I found him, too. And...all that blood...” Thinking back on it fills me with disgust. “...that’s all I saw before I was knocked out. When I came to, I saw... _ something _ move past me. I think it was...two figures.”

Cassidy was writing as I spoke, stopping soon after I had. “Alright then. I think that’ll do.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Moved Body**

_ Someone moved Joshua from the rec room doorway to the table in the art room. _

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Joshua Before Attack**

_ Joshua had initially been laying in the doorway to the rec room, on top of the tarp from the art room. He was still alive then, but a large pool of blood was forming around his head. _

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Two Figures**

_ When I was coming to, I saw what looked like two people moving past me. _

I take a quick look around the room. The whole place was still strangely tidy. The only things of note that seemed the same as before was the knocked over paint cans...wait...

I walk over to the pile of paint cans. They were knocked over again but...I had definitely stacked them back up. Why would someone knock these down?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Tidiness**

_ The art room is a lot tidier than the rest of the building had appeared to be. _

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Paint Cans**

_ Someone knocked down the paint cans that I had restacked in the art room. _

If there was anything else amiss in the room, I couldn’t tell. I’d just have to trust I had found everything here. Before I got the chance to leave the room, though, the door opened and a handful of the others came in.

Nancy, Jess, Rita, Tyler, Jeremiah, and Patrick all came into the room together. They looked frazzled, except for Patrick’s typical calmness.

“We...We got here as soon as we could..!” Jess gasps, exasperated. “We just started to feel well enough to make it up here thanks to those cures and...and...” Jess’s eyes move past Cassidy and I and were now centered on Joshua, her face paling. “O-Oh my god...”

“Someone...seriously killed him..?” Nancy asks. “But I thought he was safe...”

“I know I was pissed at him, but...this isn’t what I wanted...” Rita whimpers.

“You two got here early,” Patrick comments. “Where have you been this whole time?”

“Ah, well, we—” I tried to explain, but I was quickly swarmed by Jess.

“Wayne! Oh my god, you’re bleeding! What happened to your head?! And...And you, too, Cassidy?! Are you two okay?! I need to go get disinfectant and bandages! No, wait, I should have some in my bag, I can just--”

“Not now,” Cassidy remarks. “I’ll live. We don’t have the time for that. I suggest all of you get to investigating now, enough time was wasted because of that poison.”

Jess frowns, still looking worried. She clutches both of her hands to her chest and looks down. “Alright, then...”

I tentatively reach up and touch my head. I pull my hand away to see there was, in fact, red on them. But...this wasn’t blood. Was this paint..? I could see Cassidy doing the same, her brows furrowing. Why did we have paint on our heads?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Paint**

_ Cassidy and I both have red paint on our heads. _

“Wayne, I suggest we continue our investigation elsewhere,” Cassidy says to me as the others began to look around the room. “We shouldn’t be wasting time, especially when everyone is getting a late start.”

“Right, got it. But...shouldn’t we fill them in on what happened to us?”

“No time right now. We can do it during the trial. We should get going.”

I didn’t want to leave everyone in the dark like that, but she did have a point. We don’t know how much time we have, but things will be more difficult if we miss anything. I head out of the room with her and walk over to the rec room.

The door was still wide open, like it had been left. The floor was spotless of any traces of blood, though. I definitely remember the tarp being laid down there and it was fairly large, so that would most likely explain it. However, now that I was less focused on a body, I could see the mess left behind. Food was scattered around in the hallway and into the rec room. It was canned food and bottles of water, as well as pantry goods. Things that didn’t need to be cooked or cooled. Joshua must have had this on him at the time.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Hallway Mess**

_ Food was scattered in the hallway, all of it food that wouldn’t need to be cooked or kept cold. None of it looked touched otherwise _

Stepping into the room, I see that it hasn’t changed from the last time I was in here, either. I walk over to the couch and remove the cushion concealing the cures Joshua had stolen. Sure enough, they were still there. Three cures and one empty one, for a total of four. Did the killer not take one of these, then?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Hidden Cures**

_ None of the cures Joshua had hidden were taken after Cassidy and I had gotten one each. There are still three of them left plus a used sixth cure. _

I couldn’t tell if anything else in the room was missing or off at all, so I decide it was best to move back out. I pause as I reach the entrance. The chair used to lock the door was moved so that it sat up against the wall next to it. That’s not where Joshua left it before.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Moved Chair**

_ The chair Joshua used to lock the door had been moved so that it was against the wall next to the door. _

I make my way back out of the room. It’ll be hard to tell if anything is amiss around the school thanks to the mess left behind, but it was definitely worth a try to see if I could find anything of worth.

I searched through a few rooms, but I couldn’t easily find anything that seemed like it was worth while. The other two rooms on the second floor didn’t have much of interest to see, and most rooms on the first floor also seemed unrelated. But there was one other room that I knew of that was related to this murder at least. The kitchen.

The pantry in the kitchen had been left open, probably from Joshua leaving as soon as he had his food. I decide to poke around the room a bit. Opening one of the cabinets on the floor, I let out a yelp as everything inside comes spilling out around my feet. It was all pots and pans. “What the..?!” I carefully step out of the mess. Who put these away? They did a terrible job! I try opening another cabinet, but a similar issue happens, and another pile of cooking supplies ends up on the floor. Was everything put away like this? Who could have done that?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Messy Cabinets**

_ The cooking equipment in the kitchen was put away poorly and spilled out as soon as I opened a cabinet door. _

That seemed to be the last of the evidence I could find around the school. Was it enough to declare a killer, though? I wasn’t sure. I should try talking to the others and see what they have to say. By this point, everyone was feeling well enough to at least be out of bed.

I try asking people if they saw or heard anything weird, but most of them stayed in their rooms all day. Other than Cassidy and I, it didn’t seem like anyone had anything to say. Then I got to Jess, still in the art room.

“Hey, Jess, I’ve just been asking everyone if they might have seen or heard anything weird today.”

“Hm? Oh, well, I didn’t see anything myself,” she says. “I did leave my room today. I wanted to try to help the others, so I got myself up to see if I could do anything for them. Some people seemed to have been running fevers or something, because they had their doors open to try and keep their rooms cool. Giffany, Rick, and Harold were all really under the weather. I did my best for them all, but there wasn’t too much I could get done. Perry was insistent he could take care of his brother himself as well, so I didn’t bother him for long.”

“Hm...well, thanks anyway, Jess. I’ll keep that in mind.” If she was the only one up, maybe there was something to it.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Jess’s Testimony**

_ Jess was one of the few to get out of bed today. She checked in on some of the others and reported that those running a fever had their doors open to try and air their rooms out. That included Giffany, Rick, and Harold. Perry was still insistent about taking care of Harold on his own. _

The screens around the school flicker to life with Mononuki’s face. “ _ Yaaawn... _ mm...I’m gettin’ sleepy, so I think we should get this trial over with. Make your way to the elevator in the stairwell, everyone...”

My nerves were rising by the second as I made my way to the bottom of the stairwell where the others would gather. There were only thirteen of us left and someone standing here was a murderer. Someone standing here was going to be executed...

The doors for the elevator open and we all walk in. They close as the last of us enter and it begins moving down. The elevator was filled with only silence. It only made the tension in the air weigh heavier.

I had to do my best again. I had to make sure we win this trial, for everyone. I can’t let us all die here. I’ll never let that happen!

The elevator eventually comes to a halt and the doors slide open. This was it! The second class trial has begun!


	16. Trial 2 Truth Bullets

Truth Bullets

**Truth Bullet: Monofile #2**

_Monofile #2_

_The victim of this case is Joshua Price, the Ultimate Cheater. Joshua was found in the art room. The cause of death is blunt force trauma to the back of the head. The estimated time of death is 12:23 pm._

_Something’s missing though..._

**Truth Bullet: Tarp**

_The tarp normally used for the floor of the art room is now used to wrap up Joshua’s body._

**Truth Bullet: Smell of Paint**

_For some reason, Joshua smells vaguely of paint._

**Truth Bullet: Used Cure**

_Joshua had an empty test tube in his pocket. It looked the same as the ones used for the cures._

**Truth Bullet: Joshua’s Wounds**

_There are two injuries on Joshua’s head. One on the top and one on the back._

**Truth Bullet: Stakeout**

_Cassidy and I had gone on a stakeout in the art room for Joshua, which we agreed upon in the stairwell the day before it happened. When he had left to get food, the two of us entered the rec room and taken one cure each. We went back to the computer room to take them. While there, we heard footsteps for a while in the hallway, as if someone was going between rooms. We eventually heard Joshua scream and two thuds rang out. I went out to investigate, finding Joshua laying on the ground. I had tried to call out for Cassidy, but I was knocked out. Cassidy had stayed in the computer room and was eventually knocked out as well._

**Truth Bullet: Moved Body**

_Someone moved Joshua from the rec room doorway to the table in the art room._

**Truth Bullet: Joshua Before Attack**

_Joshua had initially been laying in the doorway to the rec room, on top of the tarp from the art room. He was still alive then, but a large pool of blood was forming around his head._

**Truth Bullet: Two Figures**

_When I was coming to, I saw what looked like two people moving past me._

**Truth Bullet: Tidiness**

_The art room is a lot tidier than the rest of the building had appeared to be._

**Truth Bullet: Paint Cans**

_Someone knocked down the paint cans that I had restacked in the art room._

**Truth Bullet: Paint**

_Cassidy and I both have red paint on our heads._

**Truth Bullet: Hallway Mess**

_Food was scattered in the hallway, all of it food that wouldn’t need to be cooked or kept cold. None of it looked touched otherwise._

**Truth Bullet: Hidden Cures**

_None of the cures Joshua had hidden were taken after Cassidy and I had gotten one each. There are still three of them left plus a used sixth cure._

**Truth Bullet: Moved Chair**

_The chair Joshua used to lock the door had been moved so that it was against the wall next to the door._

**Truth Bullet: Messy Cabinets**

_The cooking equipment in the kitchen was put away poorly and spilled out as soon as I opened a cabinet door._

**Truth Bullet: Jess’s Testimony**

_Jess was one of the few to get out of bed today. She checked in on some of the others and reported that those running a fever had their doors open to try and air their rooms out. That included Giffany, Rick, and Harold. Perry was still insistent about taking care of Harold on his own._


	17. Chapter 2: The Weak Won't Thrive - Deadly Life Trial Part I

We all step out of the elevator, making our way back to our assigned podiums. The order hadn’t changed from the last time, and the room still had that same regal appearance. Bright lights were aimed down at us as we stood at our podiums, as if there was an audience watching us put on a show from the shadows in the room. It only made things feel more intense.

There were two more portraits standing in what used to be Franchesa’s and Joshua’s podiums. Franchesa’s face had been crossed out with a messy X in a bright red paint. Joshua’s face was marked off with a crudely drawn pumpkin.

“More of those stupid portraits..?” Nancy asks. “You’re a real fuckin’ riot, rat face!”

“Mm...I’m not a rat...” Mononuki murmurs from his throne, in which he was curled up like he was going to fall asleep. “Normally I’d just explain the trial rules again but...mm...I’m sleepy...”

“Ignoring that...” Jeremiah murmurs. “Let’s get right to it. We should start with the most obvious question, shouldn’t we?”

“Yeah, of course!” Nancy declares. “...so uh...what’s the most obvious question? Just for anyone that doesn’t know!”

Jeremiah sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “For the love of...I’m talking about the murder weapon. In case you didn’t notice, I never saw anything that seemed to fit the bill.”

“Yeah, I didn’t see anything like that around, either...but, ah, isn’t that a pretty big question to start with if we don’t have any leads?” Jess asks.

“Of course we have leads,” Harold retorts.

“How would you even know?” Rita asks. “You didn’t investigate. Don’t get such a smarmy tone when you didn’t even help.”

“Rita, he was sick in bed...” Tyler murmurs softly.

“So were the rest of us!”

“Harold’s right, though,” Patrick pipes up. “We do have a way to determine a lead for what we should be keeping an eye out for.”

“Then let’s hurry up and get to the point!” Nancy cries out.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“If we don’t have a **weapon** , how do we have a lead?” Jess asks.

“If we just **look at the body** , we’ll have a pretty clear answer...” Patrick says.

“I-I couldn’t look at it...” Giffany whimpers from her stand. “Just seeing all that blood made me sick..!”

“Then shut up,” Patrick replies.

“There was a **ton of blood** around Joshua,” Rick says. “Maybe...that has something to do with it?”

“Oh, that’s it!” Rita declares. “Joshua must have been **stabbed** , just like Betty! So the weapon is a blade!”

Wait...that definitely sounded wrong. The blood wasn’t from that kind of wound. It was from...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Joshua’s Wounds**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“Hey, I’m not...ah, wait, I’m seriously wrong?” Rita asks.

“Joshua wasn’t stabbed at all. In fact, he only had two wounds—both from bludgeoning.”

“So then it wouldn’t be a bladed weapon, it’d be a blunt one,” Jeremiah murmurs. “...that still doesn’t narrow anything down for us, however. There’s a myriad of blunt objects around.”

“And thanks to all the messes Joshua made that we couldn’t clean up, it’s not like we can just determine what the weapon was from something being out of place,” Tyler adds.

‘ _So we really didn’t get that far after all..._ ’ Sasha writes down, ending it with a sigh.

“Perhaps there is something that is even out of placer?” Perry asks.

“Not only is that grammatically incorrect,” Harold chides, “that doesn’t even make sense, Perry. Everyone was bedridden at best, how could any of us possibly know what has or hasn’t been moved?”

It’s true that a lot of people were bedridden...but not everyone! Cassidy and myself were still standing and at the scene of the crime. I just have to remember how everything looked. What could have been out of place that might make for a good bludgeoning weapon...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Baseball Bat

>Paint Cans

>Easels

...> _Paint Cans_

“It has to be that!” I speak up. “I had stacked up the paint cans in the art room, but the next time I saw them, they had been knocked over in a complete mess.”

“That could just mean a struggle happened,” Harold retorts.

“Or maybe the killer tripped on them. I know I knocked things over all the time...” Rick murmurs.

“Keep talking, Rick. You’re doing a great job not sounding completely suspicious,” Jeremiah replies snarkily.

“Joshua could have just knocked them down himself out of spite,” Nancy says. “That sounds like ‘im...”

Great, if they’re all going to keep bringing up their own answers, I’m not going to get anywhere with this. Someone has to agree with me here...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“If the paint cans were knocked over **on accident**...” Rick starts. “...then that means that they wouldn’t even be related.”

“Or it could have been a big **struggle** in the art room.” Jeremiah adds. “That _is_ where we found the body.”

“Maybe it was something else, then?” Tyler asks. “Like um...”

“Maybe one of your **tools**?” Patrick asks.

“H-Hey, don’t start accusing me of murder again! I can’t handle it!”

“There was **something else** about Joshua’s body that might point to Wayne’s theory...” Cassidy says.

Something else about Joshua’s body..? What else was strange about him...?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Smell of Paint**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I cry out.

“I would hope so,” Cassidy says plainly.

“Wait, I-I don’t get it...” Giffany says. “Was...Was there something other than the wounds..?”

“Joshua smelled faintly of paint,” I say. “If someone was going to strike him with a paint can and it cracked open, then maybe it would...”

“You’re seriously going to be that useless?!” Jeremiah calls out suddenly.

“H-Huh?” I sputter.

“You can’t seriously be suggesting that’s enough evidence to make that statement,” Jeremiah says, glaring my way from behind his lenses.

“What’s wrong with what I said?” I retort. “It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

The author shakes his head slowly. “Jumping on anything that will prove your point without considering the other facts...how despicable...I’ll show you your erroneous ways!”

If Jeremiah is going to keep stepping on my toes like this, I’m never going to get anywhere in this trial. I’m just going to have to put him in his place and show him the truth!

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“Really, the smell of paint is our greatest lead right now?”_ /

/ _“M_ _ust I remind you that Joshua’s corpse happened to be in the_ ** _art room?_ ** _”_ /

/ _“There is no reason not to be smelling paint there! That is not_ **_substantial evidence_ ** _!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Paint**

“But that’s not all there is to it, Jeremiah,” I argue. “There’s one more thing I want to mention that will prove I’m right! A paint can makes the most sense as the murder weapon!”

[ADVANCE!]

/ _“What will you suggest this time, hm? A feeling, or maybe you heard paint?”_ /

/ _“If the paint can is a murder weapon, like you so preposterously proposed, answer me this.”_ /

/ _“Then why is it there is_ ** _no fresh paint_ **_to be found anywhere in the building? Surely such a weapon would provide a mess.”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Paint**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I cry out.

Jeremiah is taken aback by this, his glasses slipping down his nose. “E-Excuse me?!”

“There was some fresh paint to be found,” I say. “Cassidy and I had red paint on our heads. If the murder weapon was a paint can like I suggest, then it only makes sense we would have paint on us.”

“...wait...I’m lost again,” Giffany says softly. “Why...would that make sense?”

“Yeah, wasn’t it Joshua that got attacked and killed?” Nancy asks. “You sure that cure worked on you after all?”

I look to Cassidy, who merely nods in my direction. I let out a small breath. “It’s because...Cassidy and I were staking out the rec room. We were there when Joshua was killed and the killer knocked us out.”

“You guys...saw Joshua die?!” Jess demands.

“Wait, no, we didn’t see him die! I mean, we, uh...l-let me start from the beginning.” I proceed to explain to everyone what happened that day. The plan with the stakeout, what we saw and heard during the stakeout, taking the cures, and eventually hearing Joshua be attacked and being knocked out ourselves.

“That...That must have been horrible...” Giffany murmurs softly.

“He wasn’t dead when you found him, huh..?” Nancy asks. “So...that means that the killer had to get you two outta the way to...finish the job.”

“Then...I suppose the paint can theory isn’t so far fetched...” Harold murmurs.

“Shouldn’t we discuss the issue of two living witnesses that have no incriminating details to share?” Patrick asks.

“Huh? What are you getting at?” I ask him.

“It’s just highly convenient that the two people who were watching over Joshua all day happened to miss seeing him be killed, never saw the killer, and were knocked out for an extended period of time but can’t corroborate each other being attacked in any way.”

Well, when you paint it in the worst possible light, it definitely sounds bad.

“If you want to pick apart our testimony, be my guest,” Cassidy says. “But neither of us gain anything from working together, if that’s what you’re trying to imply. One of us would still die per the rules. Besides that, Wayne and I were together up until we were attacked. There was never a moment we could have killed Joshua.”

Patrick simply crosses his arms and lets out a small huff through his nose.

“So the killer would just have to take one of those paint cans and smash it down into Joshua’s head when he opened the door!” Nancy says.

“Do you honestly think any of us were feeling well enough to do that?” Jeremiah retorts. “There’s most likely another answer...”

' _How heavy are paint cans, anyway? I don’t really paint often!_ ' Sasha writes down.

“There’s someone here that does...” Rick says. “So uh...Perry, are paint cans heavy..?”

“Oh, yes, they can be!” Perry confirms. “Even the ones here, which seem to be about a gallon, can be quite heavy.”

“They did have some heft to them when I was stacking them up,” I recall. “So maybe the killer wouldn’t have to simply slam them down onto Joshua’s head...”

“Then...what other answer is there?” Rita asks.

I’m sure something else had to have been done to cause the murder. Simply attacking Joshua seems wrong. So then something else must have happened...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Joshua claimed **he had a weapon** ,” Cassidy says. “Whether the killer knew that or not, or if it was the truth, is irrelevant, since the concern is an obvious one to have.”

“Not to mention, **Joshua said he had all the cures** ,” Nancy says. “So they woulda also been sick goin’ up against him.”

“So you’re saying it would have been **dangerous** to attack Joshua outright...” Rita murmurs.

' _Then maybe he was_ ** _attacked from behind?'_** Sasha writes down.

Attacked from behind..? He did have a wound there but...I don’t think that’s all there is to it.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Joshua’s Wounds**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

There was a delayed reaction as Jeremiah quickly translates what I said to Sasha, since she hadn’t been looking in my direction. She then lets out a little squeak and holds her sketchbook to her chest.

“Joshua did have a wound on the back of his head, but that was only one of two. The second wound was from the top of his head.”

“The top..?” Harold echoes. “What, are you trying to tell us the killer attacked from above or something?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to suggest,” I retort.

“How would that even work?” Rita asks. “None of us can fly exactly!”

She’s right, we couldn’t. But there is still a way for that to be the truth. The killer would just have to...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Climb up the wall

>Make a trap

>Jump onto Joshua

... _ >Make a trap _

“It has to be that!” I say. “All the killer has to do to strike from above is leave a trap for Joshua.”

“A trap? And where did you get an idea like that?” Harold retorts.

“I recall hearing something strange during the stakeout, when Joshua had cried out. When he went silent, I heard two thuds. One was most likely his body hitting the ground. So then what was the other?”

“The...paint can,” Jess says. “If the killer didn’t have the paint can in their hands, then it would have to have fallen after it hit Joshua.”

“That doesn’t tell us what the trap was,” Nancy says. “I mean...maybe the killer just dropped the can or whatever!”

True, but I think there’s a way to figure it out using some context clues. There are two important things to think about...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Hallway Mess, Paint Can

>Tarp, Moved Body

>Moved Chair, Joshua Before Attack

_... >Moved Chair, Joshua Before Attack _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “There’s two things we can use to figure out this trap. The moved chair and where Joshua had fallen when he was hit.”

“Moved chair implies that chair didn’t start where it was,” Patrick says.

“It didn’t,” Cassidy confirms. “Joshua had been using it to lock the door and only moved it so he could leave. It wasn’t sitting against the wall when Wayne and I entered the first time.”

“Then why move it? And how does it make a trap?” Jess asks.

“If the killer had to reach a high place to hit Joshua with the paint can, and it happened as soon as he tried to enter the room, then I think someone had placed the can on top of the door to the room.”

Cassidy flips through her notepad, nodding softly. “Wayne and I had left the room exactly as we found it when we entered, including shutting the door behind us. So, say, if someone had left the door cracked...”

“Then...Joshua would have seen it and freaked out,” Rick says. “Then he’d just run into the room to check on the cures and...”

“Precisely.” Cassidy snaps her notepad shut. “And it wouldn’t matter if the first strike killed Joshua or not. With him incapacitated, they could have hit him until he was truly dead.”

“For curiosity's sake, I have a question for you and Wayne about the cures, if we’re going to bring those up,” Jeremiah speaks up. “You mentioned that you both took a cure for yourselves, since there’s no specific rules against stealing. Just how many would you say there were in total?”

“Huh? Oh, well...” I think back on the subject for a moment. “...there were five unused cures when Cassidy and I got there, plus another used cure. So there were six in total.”

Jeremiah’s frown tightens. “...I see...”

“...ah, I get it, now,” Patrick says after a moment.

“You know, these trials are supposed to be about communication,” Harold says. “What is it that you ‘get’ now?”

“Shouldn’t you be able to figure that out, Mr. Child Prodigy?” Patrick retorts.

“Ghh—listen here, you—!”

“Young Harold, please, that’s quite enough!” Perry cuts in.

“But he—”

“ _Enough!_ ”

Harold’s shoulders slump and he glares at his shoes instead.

What was it that these two finally figured out? Were they going to tell us or make us think it through? I know which answer I wanted, and which I expected.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“The brat’s right, though,” Nancy says. “If you assholes figured something out, then you should be **telling us!** ”

“I think I understand where they’re **going** with this now,” Cassidy claims.

“You know, you could give the **rest of us** a hand then?” Rita asks.

“Oh, wait, uh...I think I know!” Rick says.

“Really..?” Giffany asks softly. “Then...Then go ahead and tell us! Please!”

“Right, well...I think they mean to say that **Mononuki lied** about how many cures there are!”

I don’t know if I’d claim something like that, but maybe I can determine what the others are starting to think...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Used Cure**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“Ah, b-but why?!” Rick yelps.

“Because that’s not what the others are noticing. They’re noticing the _seventh_ cure we found stashed on Joshua’s body.”

“So...there were seven total cures? And not six?” Tyler asks.

“ _But you and Cassidy found six,_ ” Sasha scribbles down. “ _Why is there more now?_ ”

“Maybe it’s the cure Joshua took then!” Nancy says.

“So you’re saying he took two cures?” Jeremiah retorts. “The one on Joshua’s body was empty, but so was one of the six found under the couch cushion.”

“Maybe...Maybe Mononuki tried to poison him again?” Rick asks hesitantly.

“Oh, yeah, that could make sense!” Rita says. “Maybe he ate some food and took another cure just to be safe!”

Is that what happened? No, I think there might be a reason why that’s not true...

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

__ll__ M___

Hall___ M_ss

_Hallway Mess_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I declare. “Joshua didn’t get poisoned again because he never ate any food since he took the cure.”

“Huh? But...what about all that food in the hallway? It’s his, right? You guys said he didn’t have any in his room...” Rita asks.

“Yes, but none of it was eaten. No open boxes, no empty cans, nothing that says he ate any of the food. Besides, if Joshua was trying to stay locked up and safe, he wouldn’t waste time eating outside of his room. And he wouldn’t dare waste a cure unless he knew he needed it. So I don’t think Joshua took that cure.”

“But...he said he found them all!” Nancy interjects. “He found all the cures, so he had to have taken them both!”

“Joshua did say he looked everywhere for the cures and found them all, but we know that’s not possible. There are several places he couldn’t have looked. Our individual bedrooms, the cafeteria, and the kitchen all would have been off-limits to him the night he looked around.”

“So...what are you suggesting then, noble knight?” Perry asks. “If the conniving cheater hadn’t found all of the elixirs, yet two were taken...”

“...it means someone else found a cure for themselves and was able to kill Joshua because of it,” I finish.


	18. Chapter 2: The Weak Won't Thrive - Deadly Life Trial Part II

“Someone else was cured..?” Jess echos. “But...But who was it?!”

“I don’t know if we have a way to figure that out right now,” I admit. “But that’s what you guys were thinking, wasn’t it?”

“That was the idea,” Jeremiah says.

“It would mean the killer probably didn’t bother looking for the cures,” Cassidy says. “So when they planted the empty one onto Joshua, they didn’t know he had kept his empty container.”

“So that means the killer could still be anyone but you two,” Rick says to Cassidy and I. “We were working under the assumption they were sick...but if they weren’t, then that makes nearly everyone a suspect again.”

“Hold on a minute with that,” Patrick cuts in. “I’m still not satisfied in removing them just yet.”

“This again?” Cassidy asks. “I already told you, we have no reason to be the killers. There’s nothing to gain from us working together.”

“We don’t know the full extent of what’s going on between you two. After all, despite you seeming to fully distrust everyone here, you had someone help you for the stakeout mission of yours?”

“Hey, leave her alone,” I say. “She needed someone else to be able to help her. Once we had those cures, we were going to do everything we could to prevent another murder from happening. We were just...too late.”

“And you’re sure she wasn’t just trying to throw you under the bus?” Patrick replies. “You seem like a decent scapegoat if anything were to go wrong.”

“What..? Cassidy wouldn’t use me for something like that!”

“Besides that, your accounts of what happened still have inconsistencies to be shown. I don’t see why we should trust anything you’re saying.”

“He’s right, you guys did say some stuff that didn’t make sense to me...” Nancy says.

“What if we just clear it all up then, hm?” Perry asks. “I’m sure we can work this out together!”

As long as Patrick keeps trying to work against us, we’re not going to get anywhere. I need to prove to him and the others that Cassidy and I can be trusted!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“There are several problems with your account...” Patrick muses. “...and as long as they still stand, **you can’t be trusted.** ”

“Yeah, like...you didn’t say anything about seeing a murder weapon!” Rita says. “But you totally knew it was a **paint can**?”

“And you guys seriously didn’t even **see** the killer?” Nancy asks.

“Then there’s the glaring issue of **Joshua’s body** ,” Patrick points out. “You claimed to see it in the doorway of the rec room, but we all clearly found it in the **art room.** ”

“But...we did just talk about how the um...the killer tried to **tamper with evidence**...” Giffany murmurs.

If the killer wanted to throw us off their tracks, tampering with evidence seems like the best way to do it. So I need to reveal how they did it...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Joshua Before Attack**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I call out.

“H-Huh? I...I said something right?” Giffany asks, clasping her hands together with a dreamy look in her eyes.

“Before I was knocked out, there was one other fact I recall clearly than Joshua being alive. He was laying on top of the tarp from the art room.”

Patrick’s eyes narrow and I could feel him studying my features. There’s a moment of silence before his gaze lightens and he repsonds. “He was? So the tarp had been moved to the rec room doorway...”

“Because the killer had planned to attack him there. My bet? They were going to move him once he was dead to make this case more difficult. But then I walked in.”

“And now the movement is being used to discredit your account,” Jeremiah says. “At least this proves what happened was premeditated. Someone clearly thought this through.”

“...if you’re all done with trying to discredit Wayne and I, I’d like to talk about some other inconsistencies I’ve noticed,” Cassidy finally says.

“Why are you trying to pick apart your own alibi..?” Rick asks.

“Not my alibi,” Cassidy replies. “I’m actually talking about the Monofile. There’s something wrong with it compared to the last time. It’s missing some key information. I think we should discuss the file and figure this out together.”

“Why do all the smart people have to make us do so much work when they know the answers?” Rita pouts.

I’m sure there’s a reason Cassidy won’t tell us the answer, so for now, it’ll probably just be best to figure this one out together.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“So there’s **something missing** from the Monofile?” Rita asks. “Okay, well...I guess that can be possible...”

“But **would Mononuki allow that**..?” Giffany asks softly. “It just...it seems really unfair, is all! Why would he hide information...?”

“ _Yaaaawn..._ ” Mononuki rubs his eyes from his throne. “Mm...I want the trials to be fair and all...so if any information seems like it would give away too much, I won’t give it to you...”

“How is that fair at all?!” Tyler demands.

“ **Time** of death, **cause** of death, **reported injuries** ...” Perry recites off of the Monofile. “...I **don’t think anything is missing** at all, dear comrades!”

Nothing is missing at all..? No, that’s not true. There’s still something he didn’t mention.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Monofile #2**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I shout.

“Oh, dear!” Perry yelps. “What...What do you mean, noble knight..?”

“You listed everything that both this and the last Monofile had, but you’re missing one key detail. Nothing is listing the people that discovered the bodies.”

“Hey, he’s right!” Tyler says. “Last time, the Monofile told us the three people that found Betty first. But...it’s not here this time!”

‘ _But three people had to have discovered the body, right?_ ’ Sasha writes out. ‘ _Those are the rules!_ ’

“They are the rules,” I agree. “I don’t think that changed...but maybe there’s something else I’m missing...” I just needed to figure it out, think back and remember. Something else seemed odd today...

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

____ D_______ _nn_________

Bo__ Dis__er_ Annou___ment

_Body Discovery Announcement_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I declare. “When the BDA played today... _only Cassidy and myself had entered the room._ ”

“What..?” Rick asks. “But...But that’s only two. There’s supposed to be a third person, right?”

“That would mean someone found the body before those two and hasn’t spoken up,” Patrick says.

“But...why wouldn’t they do that?” Tyler asks. “I-If they found the body, then shouldn’t they want to say something? And why would Mononuki hide it?!”

“...it has to be related to the case in an important way,” Cassidy ponders. “If we found out who the first person was to discover the body, it might reveal who the killer is. In order to make the trial fair, Mononuki would have to hide that fact.”

“But...But why?” Giffany asks. “It just...why is it important to know who found the body first? Why...Why would the killer need to hide that fact..?”

She’s right. It wouldn’t make sense for the first person to discover the body to keep quiet. If we fail this trial, everyone but the killer dies. There’s nothing to gain from it...so then why...I can figure this out. I just need to think it through...

[PSYCHE TAXI]

Why were the people that discovered the body omitted from the Monofile?

_ >It would make the trial unfair _

_ >It wasn’t important _

_ >Only Cassidy and I found the body _

_... >It would make the trial unfair _

Why would knowing the third person be unfair for the trial?

_ >The third person is the killer _

_ >The third person would reveal the killer _

_ >Mononuki wants the killer to win _

_... >The third person would reveal the killer _

Why would knowing the third person reveal the killer?

_ >They are the killer _

_ >They’re an accomplice _

_ >They witnessed the murder _

_... >They’re an accomplice _

“I’ve come to a conclusion!” I declare. “The reason the third person is unknown and omitted from the Monofile is because...that person is an accomplice to the killer!”

“I’ve had quite enough of your nonsense!” Harold demands. “This entire trial, the idea of an accomplice has been dismissed as impossible. And now you declare that it’s actually the truth?”

“Accomplices aren’t killers. The rules clearly state that only the killer can leave this place by winning,” Patrick says. “If an accomplice was here, they’d die, too.”

“...I know that,” I say after a moment. “But I don’t think that makes it impossible.”

“What you’re doing is spouting more nonsense!” Harold retorts. “I told you, I’ve had enough of this!”

I know my idea seems outlandish, but that doesn’t make it wrong. I just have to show them evidence that I’m telling the truth.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“The idea of an accomplice is **impossible** ,” Harold says.

“An accomplice would **die** should the killer win this trial,” Patrick adds.

“It...does make it **hard to believe** someone would throw their life away like that...” Rick murmurs.

“Does a murder like this **even require** an accomplice?” Jess asks.

“Of course not!” Harold replies. “This entire murder was committed by **one person** , plain and simple!”

Just one person? Maybe one person could have done all of this...but that doesn’t mean that’s right.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Two Figures**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“Wrong..? How dare you try to say such a thing to me!” Harold snaps.

“But I know there were two people...at least, I’m pretty sure. When I was coming to in the hallway, I saw something, just barely. Two figures I couldn’t make out had moved past me. I had no idea what I was looking at then, but I think my assumption about it is right...I saw two people fleeing the scene of the crime. The killer and their accomplice!”

“But...that still runs into the idea that the accomplice would die here if the killer wins...” Giffany murmurs.

“...I don’t see why that would stop someone,” Jess says. “I mean, there are people in your lives you care about right? Can none of you say you wouldn’t be willing to die for someone you care about?”

There’s silence in the trial room now. No one has any rebuttal to that.

“So this entire time, there was an accomplice working with the killer?” Tyler asks. “That’s...terrifying..!”

The entire time? I wouldn’t go that far. In fact, something states the opposite...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Jess’s Testimony

>Joshua Before Attack

>Stakeout

...> _Stakeout_

“It has to be that!” I declare. “The accomplice was a late addition to the murder. Cassidy, you remember when we first heard the footsteps? Before Joshua screamed? How many people would you say that was?”

“Only one,” she replies. “That’s why we mistook it as Joshua. And when I heard those same footsteps coming towards the computer room, I thought it was you.”

“Exactly. We only heard one pair of footsteps. If there was an accomplice since the start, we would have heard two.”

“So is there an accomplice or not?!” Nancy demands. “You can’t keep going back and forth!”

“There is an accomplice. I think they joined up with the killer after Cassidy and I were knocked out. They must have walked in on the murder and decided to help.”

“So,” Cassidy says, “if that’s the case then we can narrow it down to who cares about who within the killing game and would be willing to help them with a murder on the spot. Then there is one choice that seems the most logical...”

“I agree,” Jeremiah says. “I think the suspects are...”

“Harold and Perseus.”

“Rita and Tyler.”

There’s silence in the room once again as both of them speak, saying different names at once.

“H...Hey, us?” Rita asks. “What the hell?! We already got accused of this crap in the last trial and now you’re trying to paint us as the killers? Again?!”

“I can’t believe how stupid you all are,” Harold spits. “My brother and I care about each other, but there is no way either of us would ever kill!”

“I want to propose a third option,” Patrick says. “I still don’t trust Wayne and Cassidy. No matter what they say, the fact remains that their accounts are highly suspicious. And if we’re working with the idea that the killer worked with someone else, then their alibis for each other have gone out the window.”

“Tch,” Cassidy closes her eyes, an angry look on her face. “Not this again...as if I would lay my life down for Wayne.”

“What about the other way around?” the cosplayer suggests. “You murdered, Wayne helped, and he dies knowing he saved someone from this game. Seems logical enough to me.”

“I don’t want to be accused of murder again!” Tyler whimpers. “Please don’t say stuff like that!”

“I care for Young Harold with all my heart, but the thought of him killing someone...” Perry shakes his head. “I could never allow such a thing.”

“You need to drop this line of reasoning. Wayne and I have nothing to do with this,” Cassidy says.

“ ** _We’re not the killers!_ **” All five of them say at once.

Different conversations are beginning to break out amongst everyone. At this rate, we’re not going to get anywhere with them all talking over each other. I need to try and pick out their conversation and listen for anything I can use to move forward.

[FRACTURED DEBATE]

“Your testimonies are **faulty at best** with no real proof behind them,” Patrick says.

“That doesn’t mean they’re **false** ,” Cassidy retorts.

“And not **true** , either.”

...

“If you guys are going to keep accusing us of murder, I’m not talking to you anymore!” Rita demands.

“Rita, calm down, I’m sure they didn’t mean it!” Tyler assures.

“No, **I meant it** ,” Jeremiah says.

...

“I mean, you two do kind of make sense...” Giffany says softly.

“Accusing Perry and I of murder is ludicrous,” Harold demands.

“I have to agree with Young Harold,” Perry adds. “We were **both** rather under the weather like most everyone else.”

Wait...I think I heard something that didn’t sound quite right. Could it be..?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Jess’s Testimony**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out over everyone else.

“Hm..? Is there an issue with what I said?” Perry asks.

“As a matter of fact, there is. You just claimed that both Harold and yourself were sick, didn’t you?”

“Of course! We were both poisoned, just like the rest of you. There’s nothing wrong with that statement.”

“But that’s not something we can back up, is it? We did decide that the killer had to have taken the cure planted on Joshua. And you’ve shown a distinct lack of symptoms...”

“I can concur that Perry has been sick like everyone else,” Harold says quickly. “I don’t appreciate you trying to accuse him of anything. Plenty of people were up and walking around, if that was your problem!”

“That’s true, but if my accomplice theory is right, then you can’t be trusted to back up any of his claims. However...someone saw him that day. Isn’t that right, Jess?”

Jess perks up a bit. “Me? I mean...yes, I visited Perry that day. I wanted to try and help him with Harold, but he just kept insisting he could handle it himself.”

“That’s right. Perry has been adamant about taking care of Harold on his own. Someone that sick would have collapsed under pressure like that. And can you tell us, honestly, that Perry had any symptoms?”

“Well...” Jess bites her lip. “...no...I mean, he did seem really exhausted. He kept yawning and closing his eyes for those few moments I was there.”

“But was he coughing? Any pains, like headaches?”

Jess quietly shakes her head, keeping her eyes down on the floor.

“That confirms what I saw, too, the day before the murder. I had gone to check in with Perry, and while he seemed exhausted, he didn’t seem to be showing the same symptoms as the rest of us. And Jess also mentioned they had their door open the entire day. They could have been using that to listen for Joshua to come downstairs so they could set their trap.”

“But...maybe he was just good at hiding it!” Giffany says. “I mean, um...I’m sorry if I’m wrong, but if he wanted to take care of his brother, then...he probably would have tried his best to hide whatever was wrong with him...”

“But why hide it from the rest of us?” I press on. “Harold just said that Perry was sick, so he didn’t seem to hide it from his brother. The rest of us knew about him being poisoned and he knew that all of the cures were taken by Joshua.”

“That...proves nothing!” Harold says. “Giffany is right. Of course, I knew my brother was sick, but...but he tried not to let me know. He...”

“...wait a second,” Cassidy cuts in, closely studying her notepad. “Wayne, what did you just say?”

“Huh? I...said that Perry knew about Joshua taking all of the cures. Why?”

“...Perry wasn’t with the group that morning during the investigations, was he?”

“Hm...nope, don’t think so,” Nancy confirms. “Pretty sure it was uh...me, you, Wayne, Jessie, Jeremiah, Giffany, Rita, and Ty.”

“Did someone inform him about it?”

“He...said that you told him,” I say after a moment of silence.

Cassidy’s brows furrowed. “I never did anything of the sort.”

All eyes shift over to Perry, who was standing there with a calm smile. He didn’t say a word.

“Perry...what’s the meaning of this? Say something!” Harold demands. “...do you hear me, Perseus? You need to say something or else..!”

Is this...really the answer? Are we going to have to choose this? Is the killer really...?  
  
[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Watanabe

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francine Grande

“The killer is...”

“...that’s enough!” Harold cries out desperately. “I...I give up, okay? I admit it... _I’m the killer_.”


	19. Chapter 2: The Weak Won't Thrive - Deadly Life Trial Part III

...

What?

I was stunned into silence by the confession from Harold. He...was the killer?

“I did it...I killed Joshua, okay? So...So stop accusing Perry. Just leave him alone!”

Perry’s calm smile vanishes, now replaced with worry as he looks at his younger brother. “Harold..? What are you doing?”

“You don’t have to keep defending me. I don’t...want to do this anymore. That’s why I confess.”

“Harold’s the killer..?” Jess asks in disbelief.

“I can see it...” Nancy grumbles softly.

“It...would make sense why he'd have to set a trap then,” Rita admits. “He’s short and pretty scrawny. No way he could stand up to Joshua without doing something like that.”

Perry’s attention turns to the rest of us, concerned features washing over his face. “Friends, no, you cannot believe such deceptions! I...I shouldn’t have let this get to such a point, truly. But Young Harold is _no_ killer. I did it! I murdered Joshua myself, and there is no one else to blame for such a thing!”

“Wait, what?” Jeremiah asks. “What are you talking about..?”

“I’m the killer!” Perry repeats. “Harold is lying to try and save me, but I cannot hide from my crime any longer!”

“Perseus, shut up!” Harold snaps suddenly. “You don’t need to keep protecting me! I’m not some little kid, alright?!”

“It...could be Perry...” Giffany murmurs.

“But couldn’t it be Harold, too?” Rick asks.

“Agggh, I’m so confused!” Tyler cries out.

These two are really going at it but...as long as they both keep claiming to be the killer, we’re not going to be getting anywhere. I need to find some way to progress the trial past these two saying the same thing.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“ **I’m the killer!** ” Harold demands. “Perceus is lying to protect me, but I don’t need him to!”

“Don’t listen to Young Harold,” Perry says sternly. “ **I’m the killer**.”

“Is...Is **Perry the killer** ?” Rick asks. “Or is it **Harold**?”

“There has to be some way to **pick apart** their testimonies,” Jeremiah says.

“This is giving me a headache!” Tyler whines.

Wait...maybe there is something we can do here. That’s it!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Messy Cabinets**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I call out. “I think we do have a way to decide who the killer is.”

“Hm, naturally you would,” Jeremiah pushes his glasses up his nose with an aura of smugness

“Ugh, thank god,” Nancy barks. “I can’t take much more of this dumb squabbling!”

“If we can determine which of them took the cure...” I start, “...then it would make sense that person would take the risk of going up against Joshua, wouldn’t it?”

“Well, what do you two have to say about that?” Patrick said. “Any insight?”

“Of course I took the cure!” the two brothers say in unison.

“I needed to be able to protect Harold with all my strength,” Perry says. “I couldn’t quite do that bedridden myself.”

“I wanted to be able to kill someone and end this, but I had to keep faking being sick so Perry wouldn’t get too suspicious,” Harold says. “Then it was just waiting for an opening.”

“And where did you two find it?” I ask them.

“It was in Perry’s room,” Harold says. “I found it while he was out of the room getting me something to eat.”

“The kitchen, of course,” Perry said. “I had found it while making breakfast the day after the motive was revealed.”

“How are we supposed to tell which one is right?” Jess asks. “They could both be true, can’t they..?”

“Maybe,” I agree. “Except...I have the evidence necessary to prove which claim it is! That’s why I wanted to find out the specifics. When I was searching the cafeteria, I had found most of the cabinets were messy and poorly stocked. It caused a mess when everything came pouring out...now, why would that happen if someone hadn’t emptied every cabinet?”

“Yes, see? Wayne understands perfectly!” Perry says. “I had scoured that cafeteria that morning for a cure and I was lucky to find one. Alas, I’m a naturally messy person, and I find organization difficult. So I was unable to properly restock the cabinets.”

“That’s...” Harold seemed at a loss for words for a moment. “...that’s...right. Yes, Perseus did find the cure. But he hadn’t taken it immediately! He left it in his room, and that’s when I stole it for myself.”

“Ah...Harold, please, these games of yours—”

“They’re not games!” Harold snaps at Perseus. “I’m trying to stop you from doing something stupid! I’m sick of you always trying to protect me when I can take care of myself and make my own decisions! Just shut up, Perseus! Shut up and let them vote for me already!”

This isn’t getting anywhere like I hoped it would. Even if I try to point out something that might turn the tides, it seems like the other will just step in with a new addition to their story. What can I do then..? Maybe...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Change the subject

>Keep pressing one of them as the killer

>Find a new suspect

... _> Change the subject _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “If you two are going to keep at it, then what we need to do is clear up anymore issues we haven’t talked about. There has to be something we can go over that will give us an answer...”

“I have one then,” Rick says. “I...have been thinking about it for a little while. Perry said he knew about Joshua, but you guys said no one ever told him. So...how did he figure it out?”

‘ _Hey, that’s right!_ ’ Sasha writes down. ‘ _Who could have told him?_ ’

“That’s the next thing we should figure out,” Jeremiah says. “Think our two suspects can handle it?”

“Of course!” Perry says with a smile. Harold was quiet, glaring at the rest of us.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“So we’re absolutely sure **no one told** Perry or Harold about what Joshua did?” Jess asks.

“That would be correct!” Perry says.

“Okay, so they had to get the information **another way**...” Rick ponders.

“They could have discovered the truth any number of ways,” Jeremiah says. “There’s more opportunities than just being updated.”

“Oh yeah, like what?” Nancy asks.

‘ _Maybe one of them_ ** _found out later_ **_by talking to Joshua?_ ’ Sasha suggests.

I think I have a way to determine how one of them would have learned and when. Maybe it’ll get us moving forward!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Tidiness**

“NO, THAT'S WRONG!” I call out.

Sasha quickly hides her sketchbook against her chest, her face flushing in embarrassment.

“Well, how did they learn about it, genius?” Nancy asks.

“When we had chosen the art room for our stakeout, I had taken notice of something,” I say. “It looked pretty tidy. Much tidier than any of the other rooms did. Someone had to have cleaned it up. Someone who would have a reason to be there...”

“Like...someone wanting to paint and express his emotions...” Jess says softly.

“So...you’re saying he was there when you guys were interrogating Joshua?” Rita asks. “But someone would have seen him in the art room, right? You all went upstairs to look around!”

“Uh...” Nancy crosses her arms and looks away.

“...you didn’t actually go into the art room, did you..?”

“Well, look, it ain’t my fault! Wayne and Joshua started yappin’ before I actually went inside and the other two took the last two rooms! So...no one ever really looked inside...”

“The conversation was so loud, there’s no way anyone listening in could have just ignored it,” I say. “And who else but Perry would even enter that room?!”

“You’re insulting my intelligence!” Harold calls out.

“What..?” I ask, stunned.

“You’re missing something glaringly obvious by saying something like that! I won’t stand by and let you make such idiotic claims!”

“There’s nothing wrong with what I said, Harold! What could you possibly say to prove that?”

Harold’s face turns red with rage. “I’LL SHOW YOU! I’LL SHOW ALL OF YOU JUST HOW BELOW ME YOU ARE!”

Great, all I’ve done is set him off. I’ll have to get through his arguments if I want to make any progress.

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“Everything you’re spouting is painfully ignorant!”_ /

/ _“To claim that Perry overheard your conversation makes no sense when you consider...”_ /

/ _“...the killer would have_ ** _known about your stakeout!_ ** _”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Stakeout**

“What are you saying? The killer wouldn’t have known about our stakeout if they were listening in from the art room,” I argue. “It’s not possible!”

[ADVANCE!]

/ _“Stop being so stubborn about your own idiocy! Of course the killer would know!”_ /

/ _“You made the plan once you thought you were alone, didn’t you?”_ /

/ _“But you wouldn’t have been alone, because the **killer would have heard you!”**_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Stakeout**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I cry out.

“Ghhhk!” Harold recoils at his podium. “What are you blabbering about?!”

“There’s no way the killer would have been able to hear us from the art room, Harold. Cassidy and I planned the stakeout _in the stairwell_. So my theory still holds water!”

“Th-That...” Harold was at a complete loss for words. His shoulders slump and he looks down at his feet, his hands curled into tight fists.

“...well, I think that’s enough of that,” Perry finally says. “I really must apologize, everyone. Harold’s tenacity is something to be admired, but quite often does it turn into stubbornness! I think we’re done arguing, though, are we not?”

“So...that’s it..?” Jess asks. “You’re the killer, Perry..?”

“I’m afraid so,” he replies with a sad smile.

“Then we should get to the vote,” Patrick says. “If that’s the answer...”

“...you...all...” Harold says softly.

Perry’s eyes flicker to his younger brother and he purses his lips. “Harold..? Please don’t...”

Harold slams his fists down onto his podium, looking up at us with a blinding rage engulfing his features. “YOU’RE ALL A BUNCH OF BRAINDEAD MORONS!” he screeches.

Perry sighs softly, putting a hand to his head. “Here we go...”

“SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, PERSEUS!” Harold screams, slamming his fists down again. “I WON’T LET YOU ALL END IT NOW! I WON’T LET IT END EVER! NOT UNTIL YOU ALL AGREE THAT I’M THE KILLER! ME! ME ME ME! VOTE FOR ME!”

“Harold, that’s enough,” Cassidy says. “I’m growing tired of--”

“STUPID!” he screams. “YOU’RE ALL SO STUPID! STUPID STUPID STUPID! WHAT IF I WAS IN THE ART ROOM, HUH?! WHAT IF I TOOK THE CURE?! WHAT IF I MADE THE TRAP?! WHAT IF IT WAS ALL ME?! NOTHING YOU’VE SAID HAS PROVED A DAMN THING! I’M THE KILLER! IT’S ME!”

“...he’s right,” Patrick says. “Everything we’ve gone over could have just as easily been Harold. We’re not done here.”

“Seriously?!” Rita demands.

“You see?! YOU SEE?!” Harold demands, a crazed look on his face. “IT’S ME! YOU CAN’T DENY IT! SO VOTE FOR ME ALREADY! VOTE FOR MEEEEEEEEE!”

“...no, it’s not you, Harold!” I declare. “There’s still something you’re missing. Something that proves you could never have pulled off this murder!”

Harold’s rage is soon directed at me as he slams his fists down. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP! I’M SICK OF YOU! YOU STUPID, BRAINLESS, MORONIC MONKEY! JUST KEEP YOUR TRAP SHUT FOR ONCE!”

Harold won’t calm down at all, and if he’s going to keep insisting he’s the killer, we can’t vote. I know he doesn’t want to lose Perry, but he’s just going to put us all in danger. If I want to end this trial...I have to show him without a shadow of a doubt who the true killer is!

[PANIC TALK ACTION]

“ _I’M THE KILLER! ME! ME ME ME!_ ”

“There’s one part of this murder you couldn’t have ever committed, Harold.”

“ _YOU’RE ALL JUST TOO STUPID TO SEE IT! ALL OF YOU ARE COMPLETE IDIOTS!_ ”

“Something that reveals you could have never committed this crime.”

“ _STOP LOOKING DOWN ON ME! STOP IGNORING ME! I’M BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU!_ ”

“There’s something you overlooked that will put an end to this entire trial!”

_Body Moved ua’s Josh_

_Josh ua’s Body Moved_

**_Joshua’s Moved Body_ **

“THIS TRIAL ENDS HERE!”

Harold grabs at his hair with wild panic in his eyes. “ **_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ **”

**[BREAK!]**

“Harold...when I first saw Joshua, he was laying on the art room tarp in the doorway of the rec room. When we found him later, he was moved to the art room table. Both you and Perry never once mentioned you planned this murder together but we know this murder was premeditated, so if you were really the killer, why would you set it up so you could move Joshua? Cured or sick, there’s no possible way you could have moved his body!”

“I-I...I could have...done it...I-I mean...” Harold stumbled over his words with a stupid look on his face.

“If we want to test it, any one of us will do,” Patrick says. “Try to drag me. Or Jessica. Cassidy. Wayne. Go on. You can try as long as it takes for you to prove it.”

Harold swallows dryly, sweat trickling down his face. “I...”

Perry lets out a long sigh. “...I think we’ve let this drag out much longer than necessary. Wayne, I’m sure you’ve put all the pieces together, haven’t you? Would you do the honors of explaining everything?”

“...I will,” I say. “In order to prove it to Harold and everyone here who the true killer is! I’ll go over this case one last time!”

[CLOSING ARGUMENT]

“The murder was only possible because of Joshua leaving his room to get food. The idea had been planted by Cassidy so that she and I could try to get into the room and take a cure for ourselves, but there had been someone else nearby when the idea was planted. The killer. Overhearing what we had said from the art room, they knew that Joshua leaving the room was the perfect time to strike. And they were in the perfect condition to do so, since they had already taken a cure of their own Joshua couldn’t have gotten his hands on because it was in the kitchen and they had found it while making breakfast.

“The next day, Cassidy and I started the stakeout in the art room. The killer had their own stakeout going on downstairs, waiting for the moment to move as well. However, the killer had to try and keep a low profile, and they were busy watching after someone else--who would soon become their accomplice. Knowing it would be a problem if someone caught them, they were forced to leave the door to their room open to listen under the guise of doing it for the accomplice’s fever, which had been noticed by Jess as she visited them.

“During the stakeout, Joshua did leave his room to get food, allowing Cassidy and I to sneak in and take a cure for ourselves. Once we had them, I tried to go back to the art room, but Cassidy thought it would be better to go to the computer room to wait in case Joshua came looking for us when he noticed the cures were gone. While we were waiting for the cures to take effect in the computer room, the killer heard Joshua coming to the kitchen and left to enact their own plan. However, their accomplice was suspicious of them and would eventually follow.

“Upstairs, Cassidy and I would hear the killer walking around and mistake it for Joshua. What the killer was doing was preparing their murder. They retrieved the tarp and a paint bucket from the art room and brought them to the rec room. The tarp was laid out in the doorway and the bucket was placed on top of the door. They had to move a chair to the side of the door to do that, and luckily there was one nearby since that’s how Joshua locked the room. Once things were in place, it was just a waiting game.

“Joshua came back with his food and understandably lost it when he saw the door was open, since he had closed it. As soon as the door opened, the paint can came down onto his head and knocked him to the floor. This also damaged the can and it began to leak red paint out. Cassidy and I had both heard the commotion, but I was the one who rushed out for Joshua. I didn’t realize the killer was still nearby, so when they heard me screaming for help while they were still right next to the crime scene, they knew they had to act. Using the paint can that knocked out Joshua, myself and then Cassidy were both knocked unconscious with strikes to the head. After that, Joshua had to be finished off with a final blow to the back of the head.

“I doubt it was long after this that the accomplice appeared. It would be impossible for the killer to explain the situation in anything other than the truth, but the accomplice was on their side from the start anyway. With Cassidy and I unconscious, they attempted to alter the crime scene. First, it was by moving Joshua in his tarp to the art room. Then the paint cans stacked up were knocked over so the weapon could be left with them, completely unnoticed. Furthermore, a cure that the killer had taken was planted on Joshua’s body as a way to hide the fact they were well. By the time that was done, I was coming to. The killer and accomplice ran off as I was waking up, not giving me a chance to see who it was. By the time I was conscious and had gotten Cassidy to her feet, they were gone and Joshua was dead.

“And the only one that could have committed such a murder...was you! Perseus Peters, the Ultimate Artist! With the help of your accomplice, Harold Peters, the Ultimate Child Prodigy!”

Perry clasps his hands together. “Marvelous work, just as I expected! I really, truly am sorry that this trial became as painful as it did. I was insistent on ending this as soon as possible, but Young Harold just wouldn’t hear it! I knew it would be easier to let you all piece it together than argue with him, but I didn’t realize he would go this far.”

“Y-You...were going to let them solve it anyway..?” Harold asks weakly. “But...But we agreed...”

Perry moves to his brother and kneels down in front of him, placing both hands on his shoulders. “Harold, you know that I would never let anything hurt you. I am glad to put your life before mine, no matter what. This trial...was always going to end like this.”

“And it sure did end...” Mononuki says from his throne. He lets out a lazy yawn. “Well...not juuust yet. We still have the matter of the vote. All you gotta do is vote for who you think it is...and I tally it all up.”

[VOTE FOR THE KILLER]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Watanabe

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francine Grande

... _ >Perseus Peters _

“That’s right, everyone! The killer of Joshua Price, the Ultimate Cheater...or, as he’s officially known, the Ultimate Strategizer, is none other than Perseus “Perry” Peters, the Ultimate Artist!”

“...what do you mean ‘officially known as the Ultimate Strategizer?” Jeremiah asks. “Joshua was the Ultimate Cheater, wasn’t he?”

“Oh yeah, that...well, he’s not really around to explain himself anymore, but that’s what his true talent is! He’s regarded as one of the greatest strategic minds around the world. Cunning, intelligent, a real go-getter. But maaaaan did he hate that title. After all, he’s never done an honest day’s work! Not to mention all that paranoia clogging up his brain. _Yaaaaawwn..._ So when he got here, he started calling himself what he really was, the Ultimate Cheater! It would be a safer bet to be upfront about what he was like and not, y’know...lie. I figured I wouldn’t get in the way of that...”

“But...But his student file on the eHandbook says--!” Rita starts.

“Oh, well...I only put on what you guys really want me to. Public knowledge and all that. Joshua said he was the Ultimate Cheater so uh...that’s what I put.”

Is that what Joshua’s big secret was? The thing that put him on edge around us all? The reason he went to such lengths...was because he was hiding his true talent, a talent that was nothing more than a lie?

“He was a wretched person,” Perry says. “A cheater, a liar, a fraud. When he tried to throw Young Harold under the bus to save himself...I had already been thinking about doing something about him and this motive. And then I overheard from the art room what Joshua had done and his plans, that was when I knew that he had to be the one to die. Not just for Harold, but for what he had done to the rest of you.”

Tears begin to trickle down Harold’s cheeks. “You didn’t need to do that! You didn’t ever need to do that! I’m sick of you looking down on me all the time! Treating me like some dumb little kid...I can take care of myself, Perseus! I can fight my own fights! You didn’t...You didn’t need to do something so stupid!”

Perry smiles sadly. “I know, Harold...you’ve always tried so hard to be mature and responsible. I’m sorry I never acknowledged it sooner.”

“You...You...” The tears start spilling faster as Harold breaks down into heavy, ugly sobs that shake his entire body and leave his face soaking wet. Despite what he tried to say, looking at him now, all I could see was a scared little kid. I think...that’s all he’s been since we got here...

Harold hugs Perry tightly, sobbing into his smock. “Please! Please don’t go! I need you! I’ve always needed you! You can’t leave me here, Perry! I’m begging you not to leave me all alone!”

Perry hugs his brother back gently, rubbing his back. Tears were beginning to trickle down his face as well. “I’m sorry, Harold. I’m so sorry. But I have to go now. And you can’t come with me.”

Harold wouldn’t get off of Perry, though. Jess looks at Patrick and nudges him to get his attention. The two nod quietly and move forward, both grabbing one of Harold’s arms and pulling him away from his brother. The prodigy immediately begins to scream and thrash. “No! Let go of me! You can’t take him away from me! I won’t let you take him away! Get off of me! Get off!”

Perry stands up straight, a sorrowing smile on his face as he steps away from the stands and looks at all of us. “This...is goodbye, friends. I know that many of you won’t forgive me for this...and I don’t want you to. All I ask is that you forgive Young Harold. He had come following after me when I left to enact my plan and the look on his face when he realized what I had done...” Perry pauses. “...he didn’t mean any harm. He was just scared and desperate. After our grandfather passed...we’ve only had each other. But I shouldn’t have enabled him. Please treat him as if he were your own brother in my absence. That’s my dying wish.”

“If that’s all then...I think it’s time we get to the punishment!” Mononuki says from his throne, now sitting up.

“No! Don’t kill him! You can’t kill my brother!” Harold wails out. “Stop! Please stop! I’m begging you!”

“I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Perseus “Perry” Peters, the Ultimate Artist.”

“ ** _AAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!_ **” Harold lets out a heart-wrenching scream. He bites down hard on Jess’s arm and stomps the heel of his shoe onto Patrick’s toes, forcing both of them to let him go.

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got...” Mononuki lifts up a mallet with his tail. “It’s PUNISHMENT TIIIIIME!” A button rises before him and he slams it down with the mallet.

Harold runs forward as fast as he could, tears trailing behind him. He reached out to his brother desperately. Two doors in the back of the room creak open and a chain flies out, clamping down on the artist’s neck. Harold’s hands grasp at thin air as Perry was dragged away. “PEEEEEEERRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”

 **Perseus Peters has been found guilty.** **  
****  
****Commencing the punishment...** **  
**  
Perry stood in a large art gallery. It was dark and seemed to be nighttime. Paintings and statues filled the seemingly endless halls. All of them were of Mononuki, mostly his face over famous works. Perry looked insulted by the art. Things once pure and wondrous were now tainted and ugly.  
  
There was a sound of footsteps and a flashlight from down the hall. Perry looks at it then at the gallery again. He knew what he had to do. There was only one way to fix this travesty upon art itself.  
  
 **A Painting’s Worth a Thousand Colors** **  
**  
Perry begins by pulling a painting off the wall and smashing it with a solid kick through the back. He tears several more off the walls. He breaks their frames and tears the papers and spits on the art. He comes across a statue and shoves it over, letting it shatter on the ground into pieces. He stomps on the Mononuki head until it was just dust.  
  
Perry’s rampage stops momentarily as he comes across a rather large painting. It seemed to be of him and Harold and an old man. But all their faces were painted over with sloppy Mononuki faces. Rage boils through Perry as he rips down the painting and begins to smash and tear at it relentlessly. He didn’t plan on stopping until there was nothing but molecular scraps of it left.  
  
A flashlight shines toward him as he was tearing apart the paper canvas and he looks at it. Mononuki was there, dressed as a security guard. He shouts and Perry makes a run for it down the other end of the hall, dropping the mostly destroyed painting behind. Mononuki gives chase.  
  
Perry eventually comes to a large elevator. He presses the button and the doors slide open. Paint of every color gushes out like a tidal wave, slamming into Perry and making him disappear under it before he could even react.  
  
The paint fills the massive hall, eventually stopping about halfway up it. Momonuki was sitting on one of his paintings, shining his flashlight around when something bobs to the top of the paint. It was Perry, his body soaked in a rainbow of colors and paint seeping out of his mouth and nose. Mononuki slaps a card on his forehead that read _LOOK, DON’T TOUCH._

**PERSEUS PETERS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED!**

The trial room was silent once the execution came to a close. My chest ached and I had to blink away tears. I wanted to cry, but I wasn’t the one that deserved to. Even if Perry was really...

I look over to Harold, who had gone quiet at some point during the execution. He was on his knees on the floor, propped up by his hands. His head was hung low, not letting me see the look on his face. I don’t think I wanted to see it anyway.

Jess wasn’t holding up as well as I was, burying her face into the chest of the nearest person, who happened to be Patrick. He just looked away, annoyed, and awkwardly pats her back.

Giffany was shaking violently, squeezing her arms tightly as she whimpered and sniffled.

Jeremiah was signing with Sasha, trying to get her to calm down while Rick held her.

“...he...he left me...all alone...” Harold says softly. “He promised me...that he’d always be there. That he’d never leave me...like mom and dad did...like grandfather did. He promised...he promised...he promised...”

Harold slowly gets back to his feet, his hands curling into fists. Tears drip down his chin, but his mouth twists into an ugly scowl. “Liar...he’s a stupid, filthy liar! Just like all of you! All of you stupid older kids and stupid grown-ups! All of you are nothing more than dirty liars! I hate him! I hate all of you! All you do is look down on me and lie to me and treat me like a little kid! I’m sick of it! All of you should be dead right now! _It should have been all of you!_ ”

Harold runs off to the elevator before anyone could do anything to stop him. The doors close behind him as he takes it back up alone. Jess was sobbing harder now.

“...Wayne, you should check on him tomorrow,” Cassidy says from behind me.

I look over at Jess, still crying into Patrick. “I don’t think I’ll be the only one.”

“If...If Perry is willing to kill...” Giffany says softly. “If someone...as nice as him will murder...th-then we don’t stand a chance here...” Tears spill down her cheeks faster as she loses her restraint. “W...We’re all gonna die here in this awful place!”

“Giffany...” I say weakly. But as I look at the others, I could tell they were all thinking the same thing. “Everyone...we can’t think like that. We can’t give up!” I didn’t get any response from the group.

The doors for the elevator open as it returned to the bottom floor. No one wanted to stay here longer than we were, so we all got onto the elevator on that note and took it back to the top. Unsurprisingly, Harold was nowhere to be found when we got there.

We trudge back to our rooms, each of us heading into our respective one. No one bothered to do a nighttime attendance.

I barely slept a wink that night. All I could think about was the despair that everyone felt in that room. I can’t give up...I won’t give up on the others. I refuse to give in to despair.

**Chapter 2: The Weak Won’t Thrive - END!**

**Remaining Students: 12/16**

****


	20. Chapter 3: Love Is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise~! - Daily Life Part I

**Chapter 3: Love Is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise-! [Daily Life - START!]**

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

I was woken up by the morning announcement after a restless night of sleep. I sit up slowly in bed, rubbing my eyes with the base of my palms. Everything that happened yesterday was still fresh in my mind. 

Joshua...Perry...Harold...all of it was etched perfectly in my brain. I was going to have to get up and deal with it all sooner or later...might as well make it sooner. I swing my legs over the edge of my bed and get to my feet with a stretch. I was still exhausted, so I decided to try and remedy it with a cold shower.

Once I was clean and dressed, I made my way out of the room. I considered knocking on Harold’s door and seeing if he was awake, but so soon after witnessing something like that..? No way is he going to talk to me, let alone answer. I head off to the cafeteria instead for daily attendance.

I enter the room, seeing that some sort of normalcy has returned with a full cafeteria. Well...as full as it can get with only twelve people still standing. Ah, except...Harold wasn’t here at the moment. I wasn’t really expecting him to be, though. I go put together a light breakfast of cornflakes and sit down at the table with the others.

Cassidy was scribbling in her notepad as always. Rick, Jeremiah, and Sasha were all together. Sasha sat in the middle, doodling in her sketchbook while the other two watched. Rita and Tyler were together as always, holding hands under the table as they ate. Jess was talking to Nancy and Giffany, a miniscule smile on the latter’s face. Patrick was on his own, not paying any of us mind as he ate his food.

Everyone was falling back into some sort of routine...everyone was just trying to cope and process what happened. I couldn’t hold that against them.

Cassidy looks up at me as I took my seat. “Wayne, did you speak to Harold yet? No one has seen him today.”

I shake my head after spooning some cereal into my mouth. “Mm-mm.”

Cassidy taps her pen on her notepad, flipping through some pages quickly before going back to whatever page she was on. “Well, if I had to guess, I’d say Mononuki might have another surprise of sorts for us today after that trial. It might be mandatory attendance, and if he’s absent...”

As if on cue, the screens around the school flicker to life with Mononuki’s face again. “Ahem...it would appear we uh...made it to see another day! That means...that I have a reward for you all! Let’s get to the stairwell...this time on the second floor!”

“Hm...” Cassidy closes her notepad and gets up from her seat. “Well, do you plan to go get him, Wayne, or--”

“I’ll go get Harold,” Jess says after she got up. “After all, it’s my job to take care of kids when...no one else can.” She smiles sadly. “I’ll meet you all there, don’t wait up!” With that, she heads out of the room.

With Jess on her own mission, the rest of us make our way to the place Mononuki wanted us to meet. We found him standing in front of the second gate, waiting patiently for everyone to arrive. He blinks sleepily and puts a paw to his chin. “Ah...am I miscounting? There’s supposed to be twelve of you, yeah..? Did I... _yaaaawn_...sleep through a trial or something?”

“Jessica is getting Harold now,” Cassidy says. “This isn’t mandatory, is it?”

“Um, well...I guess it’s not a motive or nothing, but...I still want you all here anyway! I guess I’ll let it slide this time...”

This time...that wasn’t very comforting. Mononuki turns around and, after a few seconds, we hear a click and the shutter is lifted up, giving us access to the third floor. “ _Yaaaaawwwn_ ~ Anyway! This floor is going to be strange to you, I bet...but the TCYP tries to be very accommodating when it comes to talents of all shapes and sizes.”

What does that mean? We don’t get a chance to ask him before he goes waddling off, leaving us alone to investigate at our leisure. Sometimes I wish he’d stay around long enough for us to ask more questions, but other times I’m glad he’s out of our hair.

Everyone makes their way up the stairs to the third floor as I head over to Cassidy. “Want to explore together again?”

“Are you going to ask this every time?” she replies, her icy eyes on mine.

“Ah, well...I just figured we make a good team is all!”

With a sigh and a shake of her head, she gestures for me to follow and makes her way up the stairs. I follow close behind.

Getting to the next floor, I wasn’t surprised to see that there was yet another gate blocking off stairs to the fourth floor. Cassidy doesn’t even bother to look at it as she heads into the new hall with me.

Unlike the halls downstairs, which were just straight lines, this hallway was just one large roundabout, letting us walk either left or right but still end up in the same place. There was a door directly across from us labeled as the School Store that the two of us entered.

The store was only half of the room, it seems. There were shelves lining the walls covered in the school’s paraphernalia. Hats, shirts, pens, buttons, stickers, blankets, and various other clothes and school supplies could be found with the school’s name or symbol on it. On the other side of the room, however, there was a school cafe. There was a coffee maker set up with basic coffee selections, as well as some food that could be bought, like muffins and donuts and sandwiches. Given that we don’t have any cashier or money to spend, everything is free here...presumably.

Some of the others were in the room already. Rita and Rick picking out a muffin to snack on. Nancy was poking around at the school supplies. I head over to talk to them like usual.

“Hm, let’s see...” Rita muses. “Blueberry, banana nut...oh, chocolate chip!” She snatches up one of the muffins and takes a bite out of it. “Bleh! Raisin! Not cool!”

“Didn’t get enough at breakfast?” I ask as I approach her and Rick.

Rita sets the muffin back down and turns it so the bite mark wasn’t showing. “Oh, yeah, I did. But c’mon, you can’t beat a chocolate chip muffin! Except, I don’t see any here. That dumb Mononuki probably ate them all himself!”

“Does...Mononuki even need to eat?”

“Ah, well...I dunno, Wayne! Maybe he ate them just so we couldn’t have them!” Rita crosses her arms over her chest with an annoyed huff.

Rick didn’t seem to be listening to us as he plucks up one of the muffins and takes a bite. “...mm, this one’s chocolate chip.”

“What?! Lemme see!” Rita grabs a muffin that was next to it and bites into it. “Agggh! It’s raisin again! This is totally unfair!”

Rick smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, Rita. I’ll share, alright?”

“Yeah, you better!” she demands with a stomp of her foot.

I chuckle softly and decide to leave the two with their muffin problems, moving over to Nancy instead. She was checking out some of the shirts that were folded up on a shelf. The one she had in her hand looked just a bit too small for her.

“I didn’t think you’d be interested in any of these shirts,” I say. “Unless you’re getting sick of the tank top?”

“Nah, nothin’ like that,” she says. “I don’t have any shirts I can explode the sleeves off of with a single flex. I figured I could see if I still got it with one of these!”

“...is that something you can actually do?” That sounds like the kind of thing people only say they do to sound cool, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if Nancy could actually do that.

“Hell yeah, man! Why do you think I don’t ever wear sleeves? I mean, other than showing off the girls.” Nancy flexes her arms with a smug grin. “Sleeves just can’t contain these beauties! They pop off the second I move my arms!”

It’s definitely something I’d have to see to really believe, but I can’t say I’d be too shocked if I did.

“I don’t think there’s much to see here right now,” Cassidy says after a moment. “We should move on to the other rooms.”

“Ah, right, sure thing!” I say, heading back over to her.

“Ha, whipped!” Nancy calls out to us. I don’t bother to respond, but my face heats up with a flush. Why...

We make our way back out to the hallway. Cassidy and I head to the left.

“So...I was wondering. Did you ever find anything while checking out that file room?” I ask.

Cassidy was quiet for a moment, gently flipping through the pages of her notepad. We turn the corner and she answers. “So what if I did?”

I frown a little bit. “Well...I was hoping you trusted me enough to show me what you might’ve seen.”

“Wayne, I think you’re getting the wrong idea from these interactions. What went on yesterday was a desperate last resort, and these explorations we do together? You’re better at talking to the others, so if they have anything to say of note, you’ll be more likely to bring it out.”

Well...at least that was confirmed. Not that it made me feel any better. “Cassidy, I just want to help keep everyone safe like you. If there’s something important you learned that could help with that...”

“We’ll talk about this later,” she replies coldly. We reach the next room and I go quite, just entering it with her. It was labeled as Workshop.

The inside of the room was filled with striking greys, unpainted concrete making the floors and walls of the room with fluorescent lights buzzing up above. The center of the room was filled with six work tables, each one equipped with basic tools like screwdrivers, wrenches, drills, pliers, and a few others I don’t recognize too well. Boxes of nails and screws could also be found at the tables. There was more intense equipment in the back, such as a table with a buzz saw and some welding equipment in the corner that looked heavy and dangerous. Wooden planks and sheets of metal were piled up to the right on top of palettes for the use of anyone who wants one. There were also some lockers, inside of which were larger tools like sledge hammers and saws. However, each one had a keypad on it. The code was written on the pads, but you still had to punch in the number to get it unlocked.

Tyler was at one of the work stations, laying out all the tools it had available for inspection. Patrick was also here and looking through the lockers at the moment.

I walk over to Tyler, who seemed fairly happy for once as he looked over a wireless drill he was holding. When he saw me coming, he immediately grabbed my sleeve to pull me over.

“Wayne, Wayne, look at this! It’s a DeWalt 20V MAX Cordless Compact Drill! Oh, these babies are considered one of the best! I’ve always wanted to get my hands on one, I was gonna ask for it on my next birthday! And--oh, look at this!” Tyler pulls over a box that he opens, revealing it was full of metal bits. “It’s a TEKTON 2841 Everybit set! This has some of the best variety for screwdriver heads! I could use one of these for almost any job!”

I’ve never seen Tyler so bubbly and excited. I bet Rita would be overjoyed if she were here right now. “I bet you’re planning all kinds of stuff to work on with all these tools, huh?”

“Ah--” Tyler immediately shrinks back as I speak, going back to his typical nervous demeanor. “Um, well, you know...I dunno...” He adverts his eyes from mine, twiddling his thumbs. Yeah, he’s back.

“Well...if you think of anything to work on, you can always ask me for help.” I smile and pat his shoulder, hoping to return some of that excitement.

“Ah...y-yeah, sure...thanks, Wayne...” He starts putting the tools away and I decide to give him some space.

I walk over to Patrick instead, who was inspecting the teeth of a hacksaw. He gently puts his finger on them and winces, pulling it away. I could see a drop of blood just before he puts his finger in his mouth.

“Hey, you should be more careful, you know!” I say. “Why’d you do that?”

“I’m doing an inspection.” Patrick puts the saw back in the locker and shuts it. “This room is full of nothing but weapons. We had to do more improvisation before, but he’s essentially supplied us with an arsenal now. Everything in this room could easily be turned into a weapon of some sort.”

That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear right about now, but I can’t say he was wrong. Sledgehammers, saws, drills, blunt objects of all kinds...there was no shortage of things to grab here and use for murder. I shake my head with a frown.

“Yeah, I...guess,” I say absentmindedly.

“There’s no ‘I guess’ here,” Patrick replies snarkily. “It’ll be more than likely that someone will pick a tool from this room as their next weapon. We have no way to dispose of all of these, either.”

I frown thinly. “Patrick, you really shouldn’t be thinking about this...distrusting everyone--”

“Distrusting everyone...right, is that what it is? Understanding the very real fact that any one of us could become the next murderer? Even Perry, who you all considered one of the kindest here, gave in and killed someone. And you think what I’m doing is simply distrusting? No, I trust everyone perfectly well. I trust that another murder will happen at the hands of one of you, and I intend to keep myself out of the way of it.”

I’m silent now as I let Patrick’s words set in. He’s expecting another death. Another murder. He speaks about it like it’s simply an unavoidable fact.

“...I trust that we won’t give into this game. There are people here that I know would never kill, no matter what Mononuki does to us. I trust the others to stand up against this game! Even you, Patrick. I don’t think you’d stoop to the levels of murder.”

Patrick crosses his arms, his turn to be silent. “You’ll be disappointed in the end, Wayne. It’s almost sad the amount of naivety you have.” He walks past me. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He strides out of the room.

I look to Cassidy, who was writing in her notepad as usual. “Well...you agree with me, don’t you?”

Her eyes flicker to look at me then return to her writing. “I think this is all there is to the room. We should move on.”

Cassidy walks out of the room. I follow after her, dragging my feet. I know by now her silence is just a no.

We make another left turn down the hall, met with two more doors to enter on either side of the wall. The one to the left was labeled as the Science Lab while the one across from it was a room labeled as Home Ec. Cassidy and I decide to head to the science lab first.

The lab seemed like the workshop with a different theme. Six tables were set up in the center of the room, each one outfitted with the same supplies: a sink, two Bunsen burners, some empty beakers, a scale, tongs and thermostats, and basters. There were lockers to the left that were all filled with labcoats, rubber gloves, fume masks, and goggles. These lockers had the keypads, too. There was a large chimney, fire extinguisher, and an eye cleaning station next to them, as well as a poster hung up with the periodic table on it. On the right side of the room was a massive glass shelf filled with chemicals of every kind. From basic ones, like chlorine and helium, to more complex chemicals, such as sulfuric acid and cyanide. Taking a closer look, I don’t think anything in there would be safe for a person to handle without the right kind of knowledge. The case wasn’t even locked! Under the case were cabinets, filled with ever more equipment used for science like microscopes and slides, centrifuges, test tubes, heating lamps, and even small incubators.

Sasha was currently in the room, inspecting the various chemicals with pursed lips, her sketchbook clutched to her chest. I was trying to figure out how to approach her without startling her, but she noticed me in the reflection of the case and turned to face me with a smile.

‘ _ Hi, Wayne! _ ’ she writes down on her sketchbook.

“Hey, Sasha. So you noticed all the chemicals, too, huh?”

‘ _ It’s pretty hard not to. They’re right there for everyone to see. They all look really dangerous. The ones I recognize, anyway. _ ’

“Yeah, I can see that, too...” It definitely worries me about what Patrick said earlier. Mononuki was giving us more access to more dangerous chemicals. The stuff downstairs was mostly medication, but this stuff? It all seemed lethal. He’s becoming more blatant with his desires.

‘ _ I’ve been trying to figure out a way to lock it up or something, but the doors slide open and I can’t find a keyhole. Besides, I’m pretty sure the glass will just break if someone smashes it. _ ’

“Well...we could try gluing it shut, right? Maybe that’ll help. I bet there’s some kind of fast-acting glue around here.”

Sasha purses her lips again and looks back at the chemicals casing with a serious look on her face. I didn’t want to bother her while she was thinking, so I head back over to Cassidy, who was lingering by the door.

“Mononuki is getting more clear about what he wants us to do,” I say. “First all those dangerous tools in the workshop and now every lethal chemical imaginable here in the science lab.”

“You’re observant,” Cassidy replies with a tap of her pen, clearly only half focused on my words.

“That’s not what you said last week,” I say, hoping to lighten the mood just a bit.

Cassidy’s eyes flicker up to me and the way she stared made me shut up. “Noted...” she murmurs softly.

I clear my throat. “Anyway...do you think this means he might provide us even more dangerous stuff? What if the next floor has a bunch of blades or guns or...I dunno, explosives!”

“I don’t think it will,” Cassidy says. “This school seems to be constructed this way already. There’s little evidence any major remodeling was done beyond steps taken to ensure we couldn’t leave. It’s merely coincidence that it worked out like this.”

“But...I don’t know, if we really accept that this is Sterling Heights Academy...what does that mean then? To take over a school like this with the freshman class...”

“We don’t need to be going over these speculations right now. I have reason to believe that this is the real Sterling Heights Academy, which means that--”

“Does it have something to do with what you found in the file room?” I ask her.

Cassidy pauses and her cold glare returns. I try to hold my ground under it, even if I felt a bead of sweat trickle down my face. She looks over at Sasha, who wasn’t focused on us at all, then back to me. “...tonight. Meet in my room after the nighttime announcement. To make things easier, you’ll handle the attendance with me again.”

“Huh? But isn’t that breaking your own rules..?”

“I’ll allow it this one time. It’s important enough for that...come on, we have more rooms to investigate.” Cassidy turns on her heels and heads out of the science lab, going to the home ec class across the hall. I make sure to follow her.

The home ec room was set up like the other lab spaces. Six countertops with the same equipment take up most of the room. They come with sinks, microwaves, ovens and stovetops, a massive recipe book, and drawers and cabinets filled with utensils and cooking supplies of all kinds. There were three large refrigerators in the back of the room and a cabinet space next to that. Lockers in this room came with aprons and hairnets for people to wear, similarly equipped with a keypad. One of the lockers, however, was instead filled with cleaning supplies. Chemicals, sponges and rags, mops and brooms and dustpans, and large rubber gloves filled the space. All food found in the room, unlike the kitchen, were made specifically for cooking so there weren’t any real meals that could be prepared here without proper cooking.

Surprisingly enough, it was Jess and Harold that we found in the room at the moment. Harold was on the other end of the room in a chair, head down with a tight grip on his pants. Jess was making a batter of some kind, but her eyes kept flickering over to him, worry shadowing her face.

I make my way over to Jess first. I at least wanted to ask her how Harold was doing, even if I could see that he wasn’t doing his best.

“Oh, Wayne, hey!” Jess immediately puts on a bright smile when she sees me. She was stirring the batter a bit faster now.

“Hey, Jess...” I look over at Harold, but he didn’t seem to be listening to us. Still, I lowered my voice a bit. “Is he..?”

Jess’s smile falters immediately. “I managed to get him to follow me up here but he hasn’t said a word to me...I’m trying to figure out what to do right now. I’m not much of a grief counselor. I was hoping to do more proper research into child psychology while I was at school but, you know...”

“If he followed you up here, I think that’s already a step in the right direction. I think what he needs right now is...just some time.”

“Yeah, I guess...I'm just worried he needs more. What he had to watch...it was...” Jess stops, biting her bottom lip as she shivers.

“I know, and we’re going to do everything we can for him...and for everyone else. We’re going to get out of this, Jess, I promise.”

“...I hope so...”

I frown softly and Jess returns to her batter in my silence. I look over to Harold again and make my way over to him. I reach out to put a hand on his shoulder but end up putting my hand in my pocket instead.

“Harold, I...” There was plenty I wanted to say, but I wasn’t sure if any of it was the right thing to say. “...we’re all here for you right now. Especially Jess and I. So if you ever need someone to talk to or be with...don’t forget that, okay?”

Harold doesn’t respond to me. I don’t think I was really expecting him to. After another moment of hesitating, I make my way back over to Cassidy. The two of us leave the room.

Walking down the hall again, we see there was one last door around the turn. It was apparently a Greenhouse. I’m sure Rita will be excited about that once she finds it. Cassidy and I walk inside.

The Greenhouse’s walls weren’t walls at all, but were instead windows. They weren’t standard windows, however, as they were all stained glass windows. Some of the windows depicted images of flowers or trees, but there was one in the very center of it all with Mononuki front and center. The windows let some light in, but there was no way we could look out of them and see anything. We could try to break them, but there’s no way Mononuki wouldn’t execute us on the spot for it. And we’re on the third floor, so trying to jump without knowing what to expect would be dangerous. The room itself was humid, extra lights hung up in the room for the purpose of providing temperatures for the plants here and sprinklers in the ceiling to water them. They seemed to be automatic, but there was a valve connected to a pipe on the wall for us to use manually. There was a switch that allowed you to go between manual and automatic, and it was currently set to the latter. Plants of all kinds filled the room. There were crops growing fruits and vegetables, flowers of all shapes, sizes, and colors, bushes of all kinds, and vines overrunning many of the windows and floor. There were stairs leading to a catwalk in the top half of the room, also covered in the many vines. There was a small shed in the room filled with gardening equipment, like spades and rakes and shears. There were also work gloves, plant growth, and fertilizer to use.

Giffany was the only one in the room at the moment, standing before the massive stained glass window with Mononuki on it. She looked absolutely puny in front of it.

I make my way over and stand next to her. “Something on your mind..?”

Giffany looks at me then back up at the window. One of her hands was nervously tugging on the collar of her sweater. “I’m just...thinking about home...”

“You miss it..?”

She nods softly. “Yeah, I miss it a lot...my dad and brother, too...”

“I know how you feel. I miss home, too.”

“...you...said you have a sister, right?”

“Mhmm. She’s younger than me by two years. She’s really into kendo...she’s actually part of TYCP as the Ultimate Kendo Master. She planned to come here when she turned 16 for the freshman class.”

“My dad was, too,” Giffany says. “My brother...he’s a year older than me, but he’s not part of TYCP. He’s a bit too lazy for that.” A ghost of a smile crosses her face.

“...hey, Giffany, I know you’re scared...but I’m going to do everything I can to make sure we get out of here. Then we can see our siblings again. Just hang in there. We’ll be home soon.”

Giffany’s smile fades away slowly. “...a-alright, Wayne...if you say so...”

I wasn’t sure if Giffany believed me or not. Either way, I’d just have to prove it to her by getting us out of here. I offer her a small nod and join with Cassidy again.

The two of us move back out into the hallway. That was the last of the new rooms we had been given access to by the looks of things. “So, what are your thoughts on all of this?” I ask.

Cassidy closes her notepad with a frown and crosses her arms. “Mononuki is certainly becoming more blatant with his desire to have us kill. Whether or not these rooms existed before this, each one can be used to commit a murder in some way. The surplus of weapons, hiding places, and tools for assistance are rather evident of this. We still can’t be sure of what modifications were or weren’t made to this building other than the obvious, such as barring off windows, locking the front door, and that stained glass window. But...it doesn’t seem like any of this is new information, just further reinforcement.”

“Maybe that’s what Mononuki meant when he said this floor would be strange. The amount of potential murder methods has gone up, but all of these rooms make me think of different labs from high school.”

“Hm...we can discuss this more tonight. I think we’ve seen all there is to see for now. Until then, Wayne.” Cassidy offers a small wave and walks off down the hall, disappearing around the turn. Was I finally able to gain her trust, or was she just desperate for some kind of help? Either way, I was going to be there for her.

For now, I had time to kill before the workout tonight and my meeting with Cassidy. I could go ahead and check in on some of the others in the meantime.

[FREE TIME - START!]

I made my way to the rec room and see Rick was there. He was sitting at the table with a pack of cards. It looked like he was getting ready to play some solitaire with himself since he had the table totally cleared off.

I walk over and lean over the back of the couch. “Hey, Rick, playing with some cards?”

Rick looks back at me. “Oh, yeah, I am! I always have a deck of cards on me. Solitaire is something I like to do on my own. Mm...but...”

“But?”

Rick sighs softly. “I always end up shuffling my deck the same, so it’s more about how quickly I can get it done.”

“...that...sounds statistically impossible.”

“Here, I’ll show you.” Rick collects his cards and begins shuffling them together, then showing me the order. I spend some time being confused with Rick. The two of us grow a little closer today.

“Rick, that’s the fifth time you shuffled your deck like that,” I say.

He shrugs his shoulders. “Yeah, I know...here, you can try.” He hands the deck off to me.

I start shuffling the deck myself, mostly to see if there was a trick to it or if it was somehow rigged. But my shuffle ends up being completely different from Rick’s. “You really just do that with your luck? It’s completely random?”

“That’s the gist of it.” Rick takes the deck back once I was done trying. “I have to shuffle the deck really slowly to make sure it doesn’t end up like that so I don’t end up with the same shuffle.”

“...what other parts of your life are ruled like that? Just completely random events?”

Rick pauses as he thinks about it. “Well...I guess it depends on what you consider random. I’ve tried playing the lottery before, but I’m pretty bad at it. I only won once.”

Winning the lottery _once_ doesn’t sound like something that qualifies as being bad at it, but maybe Ultimate Lucksters just have different expectations.

“But I’ve been struck by lightning once,” Rick recalls.

“Lightning?! How’d you survive that?!”

“I was at school, so an ambulance got called. They said that my heart was barely beating when they got there. A few seconds later and I might’ve died.”

“Th-That’s...” What kind of life is it to live where your very existence hangs on the thread of mere seconds and random chance? Rick...is carrying a burden with him I hadn’t understood before.

“...ah.” Rick seemed to notice the look on my face. “It’s not that bad, really. I...kind of trust my luck, in a weird way. Bad things happen to me all the time but...I know that I’ll get out of it alright. I know that my luck will let me survive.”

“You rely on your luck that much..?”

Rick nods softly and offers the tiniest hint of a smile. “I bet it sounds crazy, huh? Trusting the thing that does stuff like strike me with lightning, or get me hit by a car, or get hurt during just about anything...but I know my luck wouldn’t let me die.”

“...then you’ll survive this killing game, right? Right alongside the rest of us.” If Rick’s luck won’t let him die, there could be a chance he can get out of here. And if he’s able to get out of here, then the rest of us can, too...can’t we?

“Ah...I dunno, maybe. My luck can do a lot but it can’t do impossible things. So...if there’s no way to survive this game then...”

“You talk about your luck like it’s alive or something. I still don’t think I understand how it works.”

“Heh, yeah...it takes a lot of time.” Rick gets up from the couch and puts his cards back in their box. “Maybe I can try to explain it better later. How about that?”

“I think that sounds like a good idea,” I agree. I wanted to try and understand Rick’s luck. The more he talked about it, the more confused I felt. It’d be nice to just be able to grasp the concept.

Rick made his way out of the room, and I did, too.

When I entered the school store, I saw Sasha was there. She was looking over the various food choices curiously, trying to decide which muffin or sandwich she wanted the most. I walk over and pick up a bagel from the shelves, drawing her attention.

“Hey, if you can’t decide, how about we split this?” I ask her, holding up the bagel I grabbed.

Sasha smiles and nods. ‘ _ Sounds like a plan, Wayne! How about I teach you some ASL while we eat? _ ’

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!” I grab some plastic knives and cream cheese for us and take a seat. I spend time with Sasha learning some basic ASL. The two of us grew a little closer today.

I was getting the basics of the alphabet down at the moment. Sasha had torn out a page from her sketchbook and given it to me. On it, she had sketched out the alphabet for ASL so I could practice it more on my own.

“Thanks, Sasha. I’ll make sure to get these worked down so you can teach me more next time!”

Sasha beams happily. ‘ _ I’m always excited to teach someone more! _ ’

“Do your friends back home use it to talk to you? I bet it’s a lot easier than trying to read lips.”

' _ I’ve gotten really good at reading lips, don’t worry! But yeah, ASL is definitely easier than having to write everything down. Most of my friends and family use it when talking to me. _ '

“...only most of them?” I ask her.

Sasha opens her mouth, realizing she probably wrote something she shouldn’t have. She quickly begins scribbling another message down. ‘ _ Not everyone is super fluent, is all! But they’re learning! Like, I’ve been teaching my grandma when I visit her so we can talk better. She has hearing aids and she’s really happy to find a better way for both of us to talk since she still has trouble hearing. _ ’

“That’s great, Sasha. It’s good to be close with people like that.” I feel like there was something Sasha wasn’t telling me, but if she didn’t want to talk about it, I wouldn’t push her. That wouldn’t be fair of me, after all.   
  
‘ _ She’s the best! _ ’ Sasha writes. ‘ _ My parents are really good about it, too. They’ve even started talking to each other in ASL sometimes. My friends, too! I was thinking about starting an ASL club at school or something, but then I enrolled at Sterling Heights Academy because of my talent. _ ’

“Well, when we get out here, maybe you can see about getting an ASL club started at Sterling Heights. I’ll definitely join it if you do!”

‘ _ That’d be awesome! _ ” Sasha had a huge grin stretched across her face as she held up the cheery message on her sketchpad, in which she had doodled some sparkles and flowers around it. “ _ Oh, I should tell Jeremiah and Rick! I bet they’d wanna join! Keep studying your alphabet, Wayne, and I’ll teach you some basic words next time! _ ’

“Yeah, sounds like a plan, Sasha. I’ll see you then.”

Sasha gets up and practically skips out of the room. I hope everyone in her life is understanding and cooperating, but from what I know about her already, it might not be the case. It’s good that she at least surrounds herself with people that try to be.

I walked into the home ec lab and found Jess was still there. The smell of baked goods wafted through the room. It didn’t seem like Harold was here at the moment, however, leaving just Jess and the cookies she was baking. A cooling rack was on the counter next to the oven with several other trays of cookies left out. I could see a couple were gone.

“Hey, Jess, making some snacks?” I ask her as I approach.

Jess looks back to me. “Oh, Wayne, good to see you again! Yeah, I’m just making some cookies. Stuff like this helps keep me...calm, I suppose.” She smiles sheepishly and folds her hands in front of her. “I made sure there’s plenty for everyone though, so you can take as many as you want off the cooling rack!”

“Thanks, I’d love some!” I take a cookie and bite into it. It was a warm, soft chocolate chip that was still gooey.

“I have some time to kill waiting for the next batch to finish baking. Do you mind keeping me some company..?”

“Mm!” I quickly swallow the cookie in my mouth. “Of course, Jess! I don’t mind at all!”

Jess grins and clasps her hands together. “Awesome!” I spend some time relaxing with Jess while we waited for the cookies to bake. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“So, Jess, you mentioned the kids you take care of the last time we talked,” I say. “I was wondering what it was like to be babysitting so many at once. It has to be hard, right?”

“Well...” Jess pauses to ponder on it. “...I guess it can be a little difficult depending on how each kid is feeling. Sometimes they might be fussy or having a tantrum when I come around or while I’m trying to take care of them. But I have all kinds of little tricks and tips for getting out of it, so it’s never too much of a problem!”

“How many people do you watch kids for, anyhow?” I ask her.

“Oh, about fifty! Those are just my regulars in the town, though. There have been a few times I’ve gone farther out, too.”

F-Fifty?! She said it like it was no big deal, but that’s such a massive number! “H-How do you handle so many kids? You must be booked every night!”

“Hah, just about, I suppose.” Jess smiles sheepishly from my shock. “Sometimes I’ve been double-booked, so I end up having playdates. My regulars trust me enough for that and it’s good for a kid’s development to have other kids to interact with, so I encourage that sort of practice.”

Personally, I could barely stand being around one little kid at a time, so the idea of handling several people’s kids is insane to me outright. But, at the same time, I can tell Jess really cares about children to devote so much of her time to just helping out and watching kids that she has no connection to.

“I bet you have an entire room in your house set up for those playdates, huh?” I ask her.

To my surprise, Jess’s expression turned to one of shock. “Huh..? O-Oh, no, I...I never bring the kids to my house. They don’t even know where I live. No, I host the playdates at one of my client’s houses, or I take the kids somewhere such as the park. Exercise and time outdoors are incredibly vital for a healthy child.”

Why did she respond like that..? She seemed so...surprised that I would even suggest that. Is there something wrong with her having any of her clients’ kids in her house?

The oven beeps before I could ask her about it. “Oh, the next batch is done! This is the last one, so I’m going to take these out and let them cool. I don’t want to keep you any longer, Wayne. Thanks for spending some time with me.”

“Uh...yeah, no problem, Jess.” I was going to take that as a cue to leave. I hope everything was alright with Jess...

I make my way out of the room. It was starting to get late, so I head to the cafeteria for dinner. I knew I’d be meeting up with Nancy and Jess again for the nightly regimen. I hope I don’t end up being interrupted these next few days like we were during the last motive. I’d liked to just spend some time with my friends in peace...

After I had my fill of dinner, I made my way back to my room. I hadn’t touched my saber since...the incident a few days ago. Even now, seeing it still made me think of...

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I slowly let it out. In. Out. In. Out. I open my eyes again, looking at my saber. With a hesitant hand, I grip the handle tightly and pick it up. But...all I can think of is all that blood. The way it soaked the saber and the stench it created in the air. And...the look on Betty’s face as she lay there, dead...I...I can’t...

I drop the saber back into place and put my hand over my mouth. I can’t look at it still. Not...Not right now. I need more time. I stare at the saber for a moment longer before turning and leaving the room, turning my lights off on the way out.

I make my way to the gym to see Nancy and Jess were already there and chatting.

“Thanks a ton, Nancy! I think I can handle this new regime idea!” Jess says happily.

“Hell yeah! It’s how I got started, so if you wanna have girls like these, then that’s what you gotta do!” Nancy flexes her arms, letting her muscles ripple intensely.

“Hey, sorry if I’m late!” I say to the two of them. “I was just...dealing with some stuff. What are you two talking about?”

“Oh!” Jess perks up and clasps her hands together. “Since I was so exhausted from the last time I worked out with you guys, I realized that I probably needed to do something else. I asked Nancy about it, and she told me how she trained before she became a famous boxer!”

Nancy gently rubs her nose. “Heh, it’s nothin’. I wanted to do something more chill anyway. You in for a relaxing work out this time, Wayne?”

“I think that’s exactly what I need,” I agree. I didn’t want to be too tired for my meeting with Cassidy tonight anyhow.

Jess, Nancy, and I do some basic exercises tonight. Some of them were familiar to me and easy compared to what I do now, while others were clearly less involved with my own sport. I don’t really lift weights to prepare for a fencing match, after all, but I didn’t mind doing something different every so often.

Jess seemed to handle the new exercises a lot better than trying to keep up with Nancy and I the last time. She still seemed tired by the end, but not exhausted and nearly immobile.

Jess wipes her face with a towel Nancy provided and takes a swig out of a water bottle. “Ah...that felt great, Nancy! Thanks for the suggestion!”

“No problem!” Nancy says with a grin. “Now we’re even, eh? You helped me out when that dumb rat attacked me, so it’s only fair.”

“Hm? Were you thinking about that the entire time? Oh, Nancy, it was nothing, really!”

“Well, either way, fair’s fair now.” The boxer gets up and stretches. “Alrighty, it’s getting late and I don’t wanna be nagged to death so I’m gonna hit the hay.”

“Oh, yeah, I should get going, too! Cassidy might want me to help with the attendance again.”

“Ah, Cassidy actually wanted me to help her again,” I say. “You don’t have to worry about it, Jess.”

Jess blinks in surprise. “Huh, really? Well, alright, Wayne. I could use a long shower anyway.”

“Hey, gonna make out with her in the hallway when we all go to bed?” Nancy asks, lightly—for her standards, anyway—punching my shoulder.

My face heated up and I flinched back, rubbing my now sore shoulder. “I-It’s not like that! I just wanted to help Cassidy, that’s all...” I felt bad lying about it, but I know if I tell them the truth, they’ll want to see what Cassidy found and she’ll never trust me again for that.

“Come on, Nancy, leave him alone,” Jess scolds. “Let’s get to bed, alright? We’ve done plenty for today and I wanted to check on Harold before the nighttime announcement anyway.”

Nancy huffs through her nose. “Yeah, yeah, I’m comin’...just don’t be too loud with your girlfriend, Wayne!” Nancy laughs and heads out of the room, a stern Jess trailing after her. I had to wait a little bit longer to get my face to cool off from the embarrassment.

I finally make my way out of the gym and hurry back to my room to take a quick shower. I didn’t want to stink when I met up with Cassidy, she’d definitely be mad about that. By the time I was clean and dressed again, the announcement was playing.

“Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...I know I will.”

I head out into the hallway to see Cassidy was already waiting by my door for me. “Hey, sorry, I was taking a shower.”

“You’re right on time,” Cassidy says. “There’s nothing to apologize for. Let’s take tonight’s attendance and then we can meet in my room.”

I nod in agreement and begin knocking on people’s doors. Everyone seemed to be in their room from the ones I checked, including Patrick tonight, but I could only tell because he opened his door to tell me to leave him alone.

I walk back over to Cassidy once I finished checking on the final room. “Looks like everyone’s in their room tonight on my side.”

“Everyone is accounted for in that case,” she says as she finishes writing something down. She closes her notepad and slips it back into her breast pocket. “Follow me.” She walks off to her bedroom. I follow behind her and closed the door behind myself as I enter, making sure it was locked.

Cassidy’s room was plain, if not a bit fancy like mine was. I guess the bedrooms were all identical or something. I noticed there was nothing in the room that could be indicative of her talent, unlike the saber and fencing armor in my own. I guess that’s why she invited me in here.

Cassidy walks over to her desk and opens the drawer, producing a manila folder from inside. “I took everything that seemed to be of importance from the file room and stored it in here for safekeeping.” She sets the file down, letting me walk over and open it.

Why did she distrust everyone so much? We were all in the same situation. What bad would come from the rest of us having the same amount of information...unless that’s what she was so worried about?

I look down at the folder. There was a small stack of papers inside. On top, there seemed to be floorplans for the building we were in. At least, floor plans for the first floor. It had the emblem for the academy on it and it definitely seemed like a match for the building. “Looks official.”

“That’s because I believe it is,” Cassidy says. “It seems like solid confirmation that this is the official Sterling Heights Academy.”

“Then...that means someone seriously took control of the academy..?” I ask, a bit surprised.

“That’s the working theory. Which would mean we’re dealing with some powerful people. To have the money, influence, and power to pull something like this off...it’s astronomically impossible, and yet...” She trails off and I decide to move on.

From there, I could find some student profiles on all of us. The information available was no different than what we had in our e-handbooks. These papers even had Joshua’s ‘true’ talent of Ultimate Strategizer. Ah...but where was Cassidy’s page? I was only counting fifteen here and hers was missing. Did she remove it from the folder so I wouldn’t see her talent or...did she not have it at all?

Under that, it looked like some kind of official statement from Sterling Heights Academy. I pick it up and begin reading it over.

_Sterling Heights Academy and the Talented Youth Cultivation Program are working in tandem to create a future of hope and prosperity. By promoting, funding, supporting, and studying the talents of the youths across the world, we hope to build a foundation for a future that will be better for all of us. With an understanding of the many successes of our future, we hope to create a program where anyone can adopt a talent of any kind through these means. The one talent we find the most mysterious is that of luck. Each lucky student we accept into the program yearly has been different from the last and is by far the most mysterious and random talents out there. Perhaps if we can understand luck, we could build a brighter tomorrow._

It sounds like they’re expressing their views to someone with a particular focus on luck. That’s Rick’s talent, wasn’t it? Maybe he knows something about this. I could try asking him later, but I know I can’t just show him this paper or anything. How should I go about it then?

I put the statement aside and found one last paper under it. It looked handwritten, with messy and quick lettering that read: _We will find the ones who will build our new world. Even if it means weeding out everyone else._


	21. Chapter 3: Love Is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise~! - Daily Life Part II

What...the hell was I reading..? The note was short, only two sentences long, and yet reading that alone was enough to wind me. Rebuild the new world..? Weed everyone else out..? This sounds like some kind of crazy cult stuff. Why...Why was it here in this school..?

“Cassidy, what...the hell is this..?”

“That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” she says. She gently plucks the paper from my hand to look it over again. “It only further supports my theory that there is a group of some sort behind this killing game. I believe it has something to do with ‘weeding everyone else out’.”

“What, you think this is some kind of...of _test_ or something?”

“That’s my working theory...” Cassidy sets the paper back into the folder and closes it, putting it back into her drawer. “Those of us part of the TYCP are hardly a secret, so figuring out which classes would be entering the school next would be simple. Then they’d only have to abduct one of them to set up this game. I presume the test has to do with this new world mentioned in the note. So, it would seem we have a motive in theory. We’re just missing the who and the how.”

“Hm...yeah...is this all you could find in the file room?”

“Afraid so.” Cassidy crosses her arms and lets out a gentle sigh. “Everything else there seemed unrelated to our situation in any meaningful way. I found these in a locket cabinet I managed to pop open.”

“And...Mononuki just let you do that?”  
  
“For now. Either the person behind him isn’t that attentive...or what I’ve found is all according to plan.”

According to plan..? But...why would anyone _want_ Cassidy to find the answers? That doesn’t make any sense, does it?

“That’s all I have for you, Wayne. You should go to b--” Cassidy stops herself as her eye catches something. I turn my attention to it and see her door was open a crack. She didn’t leave it like that...

Cassidy taps my shoulder and nods her head to the door. I reluctantly go investigate. I couldn’t see anyone there when I tried to peek through. When I opened the door, I heard another click closed. There was no one in the halls now when I checked.

“They got away...” I say.

“...someone unlocked my door...” Cassidy ponders. She walks over to me and checks the door. “The screws are fine. I doubt anyone tampered with those. Perhaps a lockpick...or a master key.”

“Cass, if someone can just break into our rooms like that, then that could mean we--”

“I’m aware of the implications, but it seems the culprit has gone into hiding for now. There’s not much we can do...you best get to your room for now. Keep a sharp eye out for now. I’ll try to think of something for this.”

Cassidy was trying to mask it, but I knew she had to be worried, too. If someone could just break into our rooms like that, who knows what else they could end up doing. I look around the hall again, but there was no one in sight. She was right. We can’t do much right now. I let out a defeated sigh. “Just stay safe tonight, Cass...” She shoots an icy glare at me. “...idy,” I add sheepishly.

“...you too, Wayne.” She relaxes her glare and gently closes the door behind me. I head back to my room for now, getting into bed. What Cassidy showed me was definitely groundbreaking...but someone else knows what’s going on now, too, right? They unlocked Cassidy’s door, one way or another, so...they knew what she had and what she knew. Was it one of the people that put us here? But...they went into a bedroom. That means...

...someone in the group did that...

...

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

The morning announcement eventually played, stirring me from my light sleep. Thanks to the stress of knowing someone out there was able to get into people’s rooms so easily, I wasn’t sleeping too great. Then again, I hardly slept well in this place to begin with.

I get myself out of bed. I was still alive, at least. The room was pretty well kept together, too. If someone came in last night, they did a good job of hiding it.

Agh, I shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. If anyone would be in danger, it would be Cassidy. She’s the one with information and those files. I should check on her today to make sure her night went well.

After getting myself cleaned up and dressed, I head out of my room. Cassidy’s door looked to be shut, so that was...well, it could still go either way. Cassidy would have gone to the cafeteria first thing when she woke up, so if she was anywhere, it would be there.

I make my way there, not running into anyone else on my way. Opening the door to peek inside, I’m immediately relieved to see she’s in the room with the others. I let out a sigh and step inside with a smile. “Morning, everyone.”

“Mm!” Giffany waves to me from her seat, a fork sticking in her mouth. She pats the seat next to her, so I decide to sit down with her once I had gotten some breakfast. She seemed to be in a good mood today.

“Thanks for saving a seat, Giff,” I say. There were lots of open seats, but I didn’t want to mention that.

“Of course! You’re...W-We’re friends, after all, so that’s something friends do!”

I smile softly. So that’s what it was about. She was still thinking about when I called her my friend. “Thanks a lot, Giffany. It means a lot to me.”

A warm blush covers the girl’s face. She sticks her fork back into her mouth and holds her cheeks to try and hide it, but I could see she was barely containing her giggling.

It looks like being considered my friend meant the world to Giffany. Now that she wasn’t being held down by motives or the killing game, she was finally taking the time to cherish that fact. I was glad to help her.

I look at Rick, who was currently sitting next to me. He wasn’t too focused on me, since he was chatting with Jeremiah and Sasha. He did accidentally catch my gaze and look at me. “Uh...something up, Wayne?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, sorry.” Great, now he thinks I’m being a creep. “I was just thinking...how does that lottery work? The one for lucky students?”

“Oh, that? Mm...if I remember right...every year, each country does a lottery for every baby born within a single year. The one that gets their name drawn is a lucky student. They get some kind of official title at the age of ten, if their luck has some kind of...uh...specifics, I guess. I got to be the Ultimate Luckster because I’m just...all over the place.”

“The odds of winning a lottery like that seems impossibly small. I guess that’s what makes you guys lucky students, huh?”

Rick rubs the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess so...”

“You ever get to meet other Ultimate Lucky Students?”

“Ah...” Rick frowns softly. “...no, um, I haven’t. I didn’t...I didn’t want to bother them...there’s this forum, I think, but...” Rick shrugs, trailing off. “I just know what I do from an email the program sent when I was ready to enter the freshman class and my own experiences.”

I could see why the TYCP would be so interested in a talent like that. But...it doesn’t sound like Rick has all that much involvement with them, or other lucky students. He probably wouldn’t know much.

“Where’d you get such an interest in Rick’s talent?” Jeremiah asks me, a snobbish tone to his voice.

“Ah--” Great, of course he was listening in on that. “I was just curious, that’s all. I’ve never met another lucky student and I’ve just been thinking about it.”

“Hm.” He goes back to his breakfast quietly.

Once everyone had gathered in the cafeteria, Cassidy stands up from her seat at the head of the table. “Now that everyone is here, I have an important announcement to make.”

“Ugh, this again?” Nancy asks, leaning back in her chair. “What, got some more stupid rules? Not allowed to run in the halls anymore?”

“No,” Cassidy replies coldly. “I want to propose a warning, for anyone out there that might be...conspiring. I am not stupid. I will be taking further precautions for my own personal safety, and should I find anyone who is working against me, I will be making it public notice. Keep your distance, and I keep mine.”

“What’s got you so high strung?” Jeremiah asks. “You’re talking like there’s a traitor amidst the group.”

“That’s none of your concern,” Cassidy says. She sits back down in her chair to return to her breakfast. “This is a warning for everyone, simple as that.”

I frown softly now that Cassidy’s announcement was over. She must have come to the same conclusion I did. Whoever unlocked her door last night was one of us, and she knows that she’s a prime target for...whatever this is. I hope that announcement is enough but...

“Ahem, ah...attention all students,” Mononuki says over the video speakers. “I um... _yaaaawnn_...mm...oh, right. Um...meet me in the entrance hall, please. We will be commencing the next motive...”

The...next motive? He seriously wants to start up another? How many of these does he have?!

Begrudgingly, everyone gets up from their chairs and makes their way out of the room. I could feel Giffany clinging to my jacket as we walked.

The twelve of us gathered in the entrance hall. Mononuki was already there, slumped against the leg of a small table he had brought in. On top of the table was a wooden box, as well as a pen and twelve slips of paper.

The robot perks up once we had all gathered. “Oh, finally, I was just about to take a nap...”

“Is sleep all you can possibly think about?” Rita asks. “You know, I can barely sleep a wink because of you!”

“Aw...I’m sorry...” Mononuki murmurs. “Maybe this next motive will help...it’s a pretty good one, Tyler...”

“Yeah, I’m sure it’ll really—wait, what?” Rita blinks in surprise. “Tyler..? I’m Rita, you dumb puppet!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting to it...” Mononuki murmurs to no one. Was...he feeling okay? He gets up and waddles over to the table, plucking off the pen and a piece of paper.

Mononuki turns to face the rest of us. “Okay, so, motive...uh...you’re going to start by writing down the name of the person you think is the most important to you in this killing game. You can only pick living people, and only one name...then just put it in the box.”

“Don’t ignore me!” Rita demands. “Is your head twisted on loose or something?!”

“R-Rita, please calm down!” Tyler says softly. “We don’t wanna make him mad...”

“I’ll tell you guys what the names do once you put them all in the box... _yaaaawn_...just be patient...”

Patrick’s usual frown tightens. “Something’s wrong with him...”

' _Who do you call when you need to repair_ _a broken robot tanuki?'_ Sasha writes down in her notepad.

“There must be some kind of glitch in his system...” Cassidy ponders. "If he’s not feeling well, perhaps we could take a chance to dismantle him.”

“A-Are you crazy?!” Rick demands. “You’ll get killed for that! Look...wh-who cares what’s wrong with him? Let’s just...get the dumb motive over. At least he’s not trying to blackmail us or hurt anyone right now...” The luckster trails off and walks over to Mononuki, taking the pen and paper from his paws. He quickly scribbles down a name on the paper, slipping it into the box.

Rick starting was enough to get others to step forward and use their own paper. Mononuki was quietly watching us now as each person wrote down a name. Even Harold wrote something.

I finally went up last, glancing down at the tanuki. Something was off about him...maybe we can try to ask when the motive was over. Although, he hardly sticks around long enough for that.

I look down at the paper now. Which name was I supposed to write? There isn’t anyone here I’d say I care about the most. I care about everyone and I want us all to survive this and get home safely. But I can only write one name so...who do I pick..?

I was struggling to come up with something for a few seconds. I finally scribble down a name and put it into the box with a soft sigh.

“Ah, finally!” Mononuki says. “With all of the names written, I’ll now get on to part two.” He waddles back in front of the table, now taking the box off. “Every name you wrote down is uh...who you’re now bound to by the rules. So...that means, any rules that applies to you, now applies to them as well! This includes all punishments and rewards.”

And rewards? What? The only thing the rules are for is punishing. We don’t have any rewards. Unless...he means...

“So what you’re saying to us is that, should someone break a rule, both that rule breaker and the person whose name they wrote down will die?” Patrick says.

“How is that a motive?!” Rita demands. “No one even breaks these stupid rules anyway!”

“It’s not just that,” Mononuki says. “Like I said...rewards are shared, too.”

“Rewards...like...l-like leaving the school?” Rick asks.

“What?” Nancy says, bewildered. “Wait...so that means we can get someone out of here with us!”

“Under the condition that we successfully commit a murder,” Jeremiah adds. “That’s the game here. This motive is our incentive. Kill now and we can leave with the one we consider the most important to us in the group.”

“That’s...That’s an awful thing to try and make us do..!” Jess demands. “I wouldn’t kill someone for that...I want everyone to get out of here alive!”

“Are they right?” Cassidy asks. “Is the implication you’re getting across that two people are now allowed to leave this school in the following trial?”

“Well, that’s the jist of it,” Mononuki says. “But uh...I figured that alone would be boring, so I made sure all the rules count. More fun that wa _aaaawwwnnn_...mm...that way.”

“Theoretically, two people who are now connected by the rules could plot together to kill,” Patrick ponders.

“Then we should just say who we all wrote down, shouldn’t we?” Tyler asks.

“...I-I don’t think I wanna know...” Giffany murmurs.

“I’d...rather not say, either...” Jess admits.

“If people start announcing who it is they wrote the name down for, all that’s going to is cause unnecessary paranoia,” Cassidy says. “We’re better off keeping information like that to ourselves.”

“Should we at least tell the person we wrote down if it was them?” I ask. “That would be important to know, right?”

“...no, I don’t think it would be wise. It could just cause issues. Just keep it to yourselves, everyone.”

“Fine with me,” Patrick says nonchalantly.

“If you think it’s the right choice to make...I guess I can,” Rick mumbles.

“Aw...” Mononuki pouts. “Well, if that’s it then...”

“Hey, wait, we still want to know what was going on with you before!” I demand.

Mononuki didn’t listen to me. He simply waddled out of the room and none of us wanted to try grabbing him. That’s about what I expected him to do...

Everyone was left to their own devices again, letting them slowly exit the room. This motive...wasn’t so bad, right? Sure, it might sound tempting, but would someone really kill for that? We’re not being threatened or extorted or hurt right now. It’s just some dumb offer. There’s no way this will make anyone kill!

I just had to tell myself that to remain confident. The others had left the room by now and were mostly likely going to try to go about their days. I should join some of them and make sure everything is still alright.

[FREE TIME - START!]

I wasn’t too surprised when I found Tyler in the workshop. He had an array of tools laid out on a table before him and a few slabs of wood. It looks like he couldn’t decide what to do, though.

“Trying to brainstorm or something?” I ask him as I approach.

“A-Ah!” Tyler jumps and looks at me. “Oh, Wayne, it’s just you...hah, you startled me.” He smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of his head.

“Ah, didn’t mean to do that, buddy!” I assure.

“Right...a-anyway, uh, yeah. I’m trying to figure out what it is I wanna make. I have all the supplies I could ever want but I’m totally drained of ideas. It’s the worst...”

“Hm...I could try to help out with that, if you’d want me to.”

“Oh, you will..? Well...yeah, sure, if you don’t mind that is!”

“Yeah, of course I don’t mind!” I say. I spend some time trying to think of what to make with Tyler. The two of us grew a little closer today.

Tyler whines softly, his chin sitting on the table now. Every idea I tried to come up with, Tyler had an answer for why he shouldn’t. We were getting nowhere fast.

“Well...is there anything you want to make?” I ask. “Like...for yourself? After all, we tried gift ideas, random projects, but none of them seem to work.”

“Huh? For myself?” Tyler perks up a little bit. “Well, uh...I’ve never really made anything for myself before...”

“Hm? Really? I figured you would have had your whole room full of furniture you made or something.”

“Ah...I always just made stuff for my family and friends...” Tyler sits up now, leaning on the table with his hands. “I only got into carpentry because...I figured it was something my parents could be proud of.”

“Huh? Did they tell you they weren’t proud of you or something?” I ask him.

“O-Oh, no, nothing like that!” Tyler says quickly. “I just...want to be someone they can be proud to call their son. I figured if I developed a skill of some kind then...maybe they would be.”

“Hey, you didn’t need to do something like that for your parents. I’m sure they would have been proud of you no matter what.”

“I...I know...but they were so supportive of it. And then Rita asked me out...and people started noticing my work...and then the TYCP contacted me...I-I never really had a time to stop!”

A time to stop? How long had he initially planned to keep this up if he intended to stop? “...you do like carpentry, don’t you, Tyler?”

“...uh.” Tyler’s eyes quickly avert from mine, flickering around the room for something to distract himself with. “...I think I hear Rita calling me! I’ll see you later, Wayne!”

“But I don’t hear—” Tyler ran off before I could finish my sentence, leaving me alone in the room. I hope he wasn’t forcing himself to do something he didn’t like for the approval of others, but with the way he acted...

After leaving the room, I had decided to take a walk around the school. I was passing through the hall of classrooms when I heard the sound of someone inside. I peek into the room, noticing Patrick was there. He was poking around the room for something.

I step into the room, not really trying to be quiet so I didn’t startle him at all. “Hey, Patrick, you looking for something?”

Patrick looks up at me, rifling through the drawer at a teacher’s desk. “Yes, I am. How is that any of your business?”

“Ah, I wasn’t trying to butt in!” I say. “I was actually going to see if you wanted any help.”

“Do you just like to be a bother?” he retorts, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I was...thinking more along the lines of helpful...” I reply sheepishly.

“Whatever. So long as you’re here, I suppose I did need you for something.” Patrick produces a tape measure from his pocket. “Come here. I need your measurements for your cosplay.”

“Oh, alright, sure!” I meet him in the middle of the classroom. I spend some time getting my measurements taken by Patrick. The two of us grew a little closer today.

Patrick finishes taking a measurement of my chest, writing the last of it down on a piece of paper he had gotten from the room. He folds it up and puts it in his pocket alongside his tape measurer. “Alright, that’s all I’ll need. I can get started on the cosplay now.”

“Thanks, Patrick. I appreciate you doing something like this for me.”

“Mm. We can talk about the price if we manage to get out of here.”

“...the price?” I ask.

“Well, yeah. Do you think I’m doing this for free? Since the materials aren’t mine, I won’t charge you for them, but I still have a base going rate for the time it’ll take to make the project. The material I’m using for sewing is mine, however, so that’ll be added on. It’ll probably be about...a week to get done, for $20 an hour. I’d say it’ll be about $200 if I’m fast.”

“T-Two hundred?!” I ask. “You’re being serious right now?!”

Patrick’s eyes narrow. “You were seriously expecting this to be free? I don’t just hand out my work like that, Wayne.”

“But this was your idea!” I say quickly. “You never said I was going to have to pay for it!’

“That should have been a given. You could have asked or said no. Honestly, don’t you have any business etiquette?”

“...no?” I respond. “I’m an athlete, I’ve never really sold or bought anything like this. I guess I was in a commercial once but that’s about it...”

Patrick sighs. “Well, if you can’t afford the cosplay, then I’ll see if anyone else can afford it. You can get back to me when you have the money.”

“Ah...right...” I wasn’t really expecting that at all. Why would he just drop that onto me all of the sudden? It’s not like I don’t think he should be paid for his work, but he didn’t even mention it until now. I have the money, too, but I didn’t really plan to spend any of it on cosplay. “Sorry, Patrick, but I don’t think I’ll be buying it right now...”

“Then I suppose we’re done here,” Patrick says dismissively. “Honestly, I’m glad I didn’t have to waste my time before finding out you weren’t going to pay up. My skills don’t come cheap, and they certainly don’t come free.”

I wanted to say something about Patrick not mentioning payment sooner, but he was already heading out of the room. I decide I didn’t want to stop him at all. Why did he act like that, anyway? Was I just expected to know I was going to pay for something when he didn’t mention payment at all? I don’t know...I don’t think I understood Patrick all that well.

Cassidy was in the file room when I entered it, combing through the various cabinets again with diligence. I wonder how many times she’s gone through them already. Or maybe she hadn’t finished yet?

“Is there anything else you’ve found in here?” I ask her as I approach.

“I’m just going through them a second time to make sure I haven’t missed anything,” she says without pausing in her work.

“Oh, I can help if you’d like. Maybe I can see something you missed?”

“...fine, I suppose.” Cassidy waves a hand over to a nearby cabinet. “I haven’t gotten to that one yet. Start there and show me anything you think could be of interest.”

I nod and get right to work. I spend some time searching the cabinets with Cassidy. The two of us grew a little closer today...I think.

The two of us had gone through the cabinets again. A lot of financial statements, various records of past students or faculty, and recorded statements made by the school or officials in the TCYP. But none of them seemed to have any kind of relevance to our current situation. We hit a brick wall.

“...hey, Cassidy, I was wondering what your family was like,” I say after a moment of silence between us.

The blond looks up as I speak and arches a brow. “And where did that come from, exactly?”

I shrug. “I was just curious. I don’t know that much about you after all so I was just thinking...”

Cassidy lets out a sigh and crosses her arms. “If you’re going to be so insistent about me talking about myself, I suppose I can indulge you a little bit...”

I didn’t mean to come off like that at all. “Only if you want to, Cassidy.”

Cassidy pulls out her notepad to flip through it. “I’m an only child. My mother is an office worker. She’s a diligent, hard worker that spends much of the day out of the house to focus on her career. My father, meanwhile, is retired from his old position. He works as a novelist now. Nothing to Jeremiah’s caliber, but he’s released a few books already. He’s slower going than my mother. Far more patience.”

Cassidy didn’t say too much about them, but I wasn’t too surprised by that. An office worker and a novelist...even by their small descriptions, I had an easy time telling that they could be her parents. Especially her mom. Although, no hints to what he talent might be with that...

“...what about your parents?” Cassidy asks me. “You only talked about your sister last time.”

“Oh, right. Well...my mom and dad aren’t too special, I don’t think. My mom works in an elementary school and my dad also has an office job. They’re both really nice and supportive of my sister and I. Really, you should’ve seen the looks on their faces when we got accepted in the TYCP. It was amazing.”

“Hm. I’m sure it was. Most families that have children entering the TYCP have something to celebrate, after all.”

“Heh, yeah. My sister and I were both accepted at the same time. She had started making headway at national championships and I had been participating in the Youth Olympics Games for fencing. I have three gold medals now and my sister is an undefeated champion. We got approached when I was thirteen and she was eleven.”

“An eleven-year-old girl making her way to national championships in kendo and a teenage boy bringing in olympic medals...sounds about right for the TCYP’s attention.” Cassidy’s words sounded more cynical than they usually did. Or maybe I was reading too much into it? It’s not like anyone forced my sister and I into our sports of choice. We always had an interest in swordsmanship and ended up seeking different sports that we became proficient in through time and dedication. Or...is it about her own talent..?

Cassidy was writing something down in her silence and once she finished, she began walking. “Well, I think that’ll be all for now. Thank you for the conversation, Wayne. It was interesting.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, of course! I’m always here to talk if you want, Cass.”

Cassidy’s head snaps in my direction, her cold glare making me shiver. “Cassidy. I meant Cassidy...”

“...mm.” Without another word, she steps out of the room. I suppose I didn’t know much more about Cassidy than I did before. I ended up doing most of the talking when I was trying to get her to open up. Talking to her just felt natural. I guess that’s something she’s good at, as scary as she can make herself out to be.

It was getting late, so I made my way to the cafeteria for dinner. I was finally feeling well enough to have more than one meal a day again. It almost felt weird to do so as I got something warm cooked up for myself.

I sat down next to Giffany again, who seemed absolutely delighted to have me pick her to sit next to again.

I wasn’t really sure when Giffany had begun talking, but when she did, I immediately lost track of the conversation. I know she was talking about a visual novel she was working on--maybe one she was putting together now? But she was talking incredibly fast and I didn’t fully understand everything she was saying, either. I could tell there was a lot of passion behind her speech. I was happy she was comfortable enough around me to talk like this, even if I had some trouble keeping up.

“--and I was working on getting the dialogue to sound right because I’m not used to writing for mean characters but I wanted to try doing something different for once and he’s gonna warm up to the MC later anyway in some cute scenes where their presence begins to soften him up and it’s gonna end with a big scene where he—huh?” Giffany finally stops talking when she notices me getting up with my empty plate. Her entire face heats up in an instant and she begins talking before I could. “O-OhmygodIwasramblingagainwasn’tIohImusthavelookedlikesuchaweirdoI’msosorryIwon’tdoitagainpleasedon’tbeangry!”

“H-Hey, Giff, it’s alright,” I assure her with a sheepish smile. “I didn’t mind listening to you talk. I just finished my dinner and was going to put my plate away. But do you mind if we talk more later? I’m going to meet up with Jess and Nance tonight for our nighttime exercise.”

“O-Oh...right...yeah...” Giffany deflates again, looking dejected.

“...how about you come with us, huh? We’ve been going a bit easier so Jess could get used to it. I bet you’ll be able to keep up just fine.”

Giffany perks right back up. “Y...You want me to come with you..? Ah, but what about Jess and Nancy? Won’t think think I’m in the way? Th-They didn’t even invite me when we talked last, I’ll be totally unexpected and ruin everything, I don’t want to make them think I’m a total freak!”

“Why would I think you’re a freak?” Jess asks. She had just emerged from the kitchen and caught the tail end of the conversation.

“KYAH!” Giffany lets out a shriek and covers her eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to talk about you, really! I’ll never say your name ever again, I promise! I’ll even forget it so you don’t have to worry about me anymore!”

Jess gently pulls Giffany’s hands away from her eyes and holds onto them with a smile. “You don’t have to be so scared, Giffany. You can talk about me all you want. You’re a sweet girl, I know you’re only going to say good things. This is about our exercise group, right? I’d love to have you there if that’s what’s worrying you! I know Nancy would, too. We’ve been trying to figure out how to get more people to show up. It’ll be fun to have everyone together like that, don’t you think?”

Giffany sniffles and looks up at Jess. A small smile graces her face. “Y...Yeah, it would...if you guys really want me to go then...yeah, I’d like to.”

I smile. “It’ll be fun, Giff. We’ll go at whatever pace you need us to, so don’t be afraid to ask us to slow down if you need. Jess can’t keep up with Nancy or me, either.”

Giffany puts her hands over her mouth to hide her snickering. Jess puffs out her cheeks, but I could tell she was just playing along. “I’m not that much slower than you guys! I’ll catch up, you just watch!”

The three of us left the cafeteria after the dishes were put away. Jess had a plate of food. “For Harold,” she had said as she went to the dorm hall. I take Giffany to the gymnasium, but I could see the concern flicker on her face as she watched Jess walk away.

Nancy was already in the room waiting for us when we got there. She stands up straighter upon seeing us. “There you are, Wayne! Ah...what’s Pinkie doing here?”

I could feel Giffany hide behind me at that. Her small hands were clutching tightly onto my jacket. “Jess and I invited Giffany to come by for our nighttime workout. She wanted to join in.”

Nancy blinks, but then a big grin spread across her face. “Well, I didn’t think the little thing had it in ‘er! That’s pretty brave of you, y’know!”

“...y-you...think I’m brave..?” Giffany asks softly. She moves out from behind me, looking more confident already. “Y...Yeah! Yeah, I wanted to come by and...and hang out with you guys! I’m happy that you’re willing to have me!”

“No problem,” Nancy pats Giffany on the back, nearly throwing the girl to the floor by the force alone. “Say, where’s Jess?”

“Oh, she’s checking in on Harold and making sure he gets dinner,” I say. “I’m sure she’ll be here any second.”

“Ah, right, the br—kid.” Nancy changed her usual nickname for Harold at the last second. I guess what we saw in the last trial really was affecting everyone.

Jess came by soon enough, surprisingly, bringing Harold along with her. “Sorry I’m late, everyone! I was just making sure Harold ate every bite of his dinner!”

“You’re not late at all,” I assure her. I peer past her, seeing Harold’s small form looking even smaller than usual. He was hunched in on himself, arms awkwardly wrapped around his frame. His head was down so no one could meet his eyes.

She smiles softly. “Good, glad I didn’t hold anyone up. Did you want to join the rest of us tonight, Harold, or did you just want to sit down and watch?” She had turned her attention to Harold once she began speaking to him, lightly resting a hand on his shoulder as she spoke.

Wordlessly, Harold moves away from her and sits down against the bleachers. He didn’t face any of us and merely held his legs to his chest so his chin could rest on his knees.

Jess nods in his direction and joins the rest of us. “Alright, guys, I’m ready when you are!”

None of us wanted to talk about Harold while he was in the room and could listen to us, so we merely got to exercising. Giffany was definitely having a hard time keeping up with any of us. Even Jess seemed leagues ahead of her. But it was either a fear of being left behind or her determination to keep up with us that kept her going. I had to slow down every so often to make sure she wasn’t over exerting herself.

By the time we were done, Giffany was collapsed on the floor. Her face was drenched in sweat and her chest was heaving with every harsh puff. Even after trying my best, she went much further than she needed to.

“Alright, I got this one,” Nancy says. She hoists Giffany off the ground, holding her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “I’ll make sure she gets her breath back before she gets to sleep! I’ll see you chumps later!”

Nancy walks out of the room with the exhausted Giffany. Jess makes her way over to Harold, squatting down to be level with him. She had such a warm, gentle expression on her face as she took his hands into her own. “Ready to head to bed, Harold? It’s about time we got some sleep, huh?”

Once again, without a word, Harold merely gets up on his own and allows Jess to lead him out of the room. She waves in my direction before the two were gone.

I was alone, but I didn’t mind. I was happy to see the others getting along and being friends. Maybe I should try inviting other people to our nighttime workouts. I bet some of them are too nervous to ask, even if they really want to, like Rick or Tyler. I’ll have to talk to them about it when I get a chance.

I make my way out of the gym, going back to my own room. I caught Cassidy in the dorm hall, standing outside of my room. The monitors around the school flicker on before I could approach her. “Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...I know I will.”

I stop next to Cassidy. “Hey, Cassidy! I’m right on time! Not going to ask Jess to help anymore?”

Cassidy shakes her head. “We agreed to...work together, didn’t we? As long as you’re here and able to help me with the attendance, then that’s what I expect of you.”

I nod in agreement. “Sure thing, Cassidy.” The two of us go down the halls like usual, checking every door to make sure its occupants were accounted for. Patrick didn’t answer his door tonight, but otherwise, everyone seemed to be in their rooms. I report things back to Cassidy.

“...Wayne, do you know anything about Patrick? I’ve seen you spending time with the others, surely you have some insight into him.”

“Huh? Well, no, I don’t think I have a good read on him. We’ve hung out a few times, but I usually just end up more confused than anything...why?”

“...it’s nothing, just forg—”

“Hey, Cassidy, you can tell me what's on your mind. We’re working together, right?”

Cassidy’s quiet for a moment, seriously pondering what I just said. She lets out a light sigh. “I don’t trust him, Wayne. I know that he’s up to something, but I haven’t been able to prove anything yet. Keep your eyes out around him. Do you understand me?”

“Ah...yeah, I do.” Patrick was up to something..? I don’t want to distrust my friends but...I can’t deny that Patrick seems like the type. And this is Cassidy’s judgment so...I’m going to trust her. “I’ll let you know if I see anything.”

“...thank you, Wayne,” she says gently. Her gaze averts mine. “I’ll be off to bed then. Have a good night.” She heads off to her room without waiting for me to respond.

I think Cassidy was actually trying to trust me more. I’m glad we’ve managed to get that far. I head to my own room, getting ready for the night and climbing into bed. Today’s motive was weird, and as much as I wanted to believe no one would cave to it, I still had this swelling pressure in my chest. Anxiety crept in as I tried to sleep. I want to believe in everyone...but I know that Mononuki is going to have something up his sleeve.


	22. Chapter 3: Love Is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise~! - Daily Life Part III

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

The morning announcement stirred me awake like it always does. I was getting too used to getting up with it. I sit up and stretch, letting out a sleepy yawn.

My eyes drift to my saber as I rub the sleep from them. It’s been about a week since I’ve touched it, I think. I’ve never gone that long without using it or practicing. “I’m going to have to get over it eventually...” I mutter. I was the Ultimate Fencer. This was _everything_ to me. I have to get back into my groove.

I suck in a deep breath and let it out. I can do this. It’ll be fine. It’s my saber, the same one I’ve had ever since I got into professional fencing. It’s like an extension of myself. I’m...not me without it.

I slowly reach out and pick up the saber. It’s cool in my hand, no longer having the usual warmth it does from being constantly used. And yet, it was still incredibly familiar to me. I swing it out a couple times and take up a typical starting stance, holding it out before me. I smile a little bit and jab forward a few times with the saber. “That already feels a million times better. I’ll have to get some training in tonight for sure.” I bet the others will understand if I focus on some of my training with my saber.

I get myself ready for the morning and decide to take my saber with me. I hope I wasn’t too late for Cassidy’s breakfast attendance. I don’t really want to get an earful for it.

As soon as I stepped out into the hall, Giffany nearly crashed right into me. She had been running down the hall, sobbing her eyes out and clearly in distress.

“Ah—hey, Giff, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” I ask her, hoping to get some answers.

Giffany looks up at me and it only seems to make her crying worse. She shoves past me and runs off down the dorm halls and into her room, the door slamming shut behind her. What...just happened? Did she see something that..?

I hurry down the way Giffany came, praying to god that it wasn’t what I thought it was.

When I got to the cafeteria, I had noticed that someone had hung up a piece of paper on the doors just outside of it. It looked like a list of names. It read:

_Rick - Jeremiah_

_Jeremiah - Sasha_

_Sasha - Jeremiah_

_Patrick - Patrick_

_Cassidy - Wayne_

_Giffany - Wayne_

_Tyler - Rita_

_Rita - Tyler_

_Jess - Harold_

_Harold - Jess_

_Nancy - Wayne_

_Wayne - Cassidy_

Ah...wait, Cassidy was the name I had written down on that slip of paper yesterday. Does...that mean this is what everyone else wrote down? None of these answers really surprise me. But then why did Giff run off crying? Maybe the others had some context for me.

I enter the cafeteria to see several conversations had already broken out amongst the others.

“You seriously just wrote down your own name?” Nancy demands. “How is that even allowed?! That doesn’t make any sense!”

“Mononuki had no rules against writing out own name,” Patrick points out. “He merely said to write down the own person we care about most in the killing game. That would happen to be myself.” Patrick gestures to himself to accentuate his point.

“Well, ya better not go around killin’ anyone and wasting it!”

“So you think someone else should do the killing then?”

“Ah—I didn’t say that! Stop twisting around my words, jackass! I’ll make you swallow your teeth if you do that again!” She slams her fist down in front of Patrick, who seems unbothered.

“Did you both seriously have to write my name down?” Jeremiah asks with a sigh. “Rick, you could have at least picked Sasha over me.”

“Heh...sorry, Jeremiah...” Rick says with a sheepish smile. “I like you guys both equally so I just...picked one.”

Sasha signs something to Jeremiah, which I couldn’t understand. Her hands moved too fast for me to really follow, either. A blush crosses Jeremiah’s features. “Sasha, please, not in front of Rick...”

“Huh? What can’t she say in front of me?” Rick asks.

“Tch—nothing, forget it!” Jeremiah’s blush gets worse. He crosses his arms and looks away from both of his friends, making them laugh with each other.

I take a seat next to Cassidy, who was quietly writing in her notepad like always. She makes sure to hold it so I can’t see what she’s written when I approached.

“Sorry I’m late,” I apologize. “I was just...working some stuff out.” I hold up my saber for a moment before lowering it to my side again. “So, that paper out there...”

“It seems to be fully accurate,” she says. “No one has made an effort to argue against the names shown, which means that is what everyone wrote.”

“Do you think Mononuki put it up?”

“...I think if Mononuki did it, he most likely would have made an announcement or a show about it. But this was put up quietly during the night.”

“Huh? But...who else could have stuck it up there..?”

“Possibly whoever listened in on us the other night. Whatever their connection to Mononuki is, I don’t imagine it to be beneficial to the rest of us.”

I had been trying not to think about it too much since it hadn’t happened again, but I’m sure that incident has been on Cassidy’s mind for some time now. If...it’s really true that someone here was eavesdropping on us, would they have some sort of connection to Mononuki? They could have picked the lock...but they could have also simply opened the door, too.

“I wanted to ask you about Giff, too. Did you see what happened to her? She was sobbing and running back to her room when I was making my way here,” I say.

“Oh, that? She had been reading the list put outside the cafeteria and ran off in tears once she had finished. Never breathed a word about what had upset her.”

So that means no one else knows, either. I’ll have to try checking in on her, then. I can’t just leave her in that condition without trying to do something about it. I could eat breakfast later.

“I’m going to go check on her and see if I can get her to talk to me. I’ll be back to eat later, alright?”

“I’ll be here,” Cassidy says, focusing back in on her writing.

I get up again and make my way back out of the room to head to the dorms. I hope Giffany was going to be okay. She’s sweet, but very delicate. She’s just been needing a helping hand here and someone to lean on for support. I was more than happy to provide that for her, but she’d have to be willing to accept it first.

I make my way to Giffany’s room and knock on the door. “Hey, Giff? It’s Wayne! Can you hear me? I just wanted to come check in on you!”

I stand there waiting for a moment, finding no reply. I knock on the door louder this time. “Giff? I just want to make sure you’re okay!” Again, she doesn’t respond. I didn’t want to force her to come out or talk to me. If she just needed some time alone to try calming down, it was best for me to simply give that to her. After waiting a few more seconds, I give up and make my way back to the cafeteria so I could eat breakfast.

“Did Giffany say anything to you?” Jess asks when I had sat down again with some food.

I shake my head. “No, couldn’t get her to open the door. I don’t know what upset her so much, but I guess I’m just going to have to give her some space and let her come out on her own.”

Jess frowns softly and nods in agreement. “I think that’s for the best. I’m sure she’ll come out on her own.”

“She might be better off staying in her room,” Patrick says.

“Why do you have to ruin everything every time you speak?” Rita asks snarkily from her seat. Her and Tyler had been talking quietly to each other just beforehand, but with Patrick speaking up, she had gotten annoyed pretty quickly.

“Patrick, you really shouldn’t be so mean to her, even if she’s not here,” Jess scolds.

“I’m not being mean. All I’m saying is, some new targets have been created with this paper, and she’s better off staying in her room. Although, I suppose with the last two murders, maybe not.”

“Ugh, d-don’t talk about those!” Tyler whines, covering his ears. “I don’t wanna hear about any of that...I-I still feel sick thinking back on it...”

“Ugh, great, now you’ve super ruined the mood,” Rita whines. She takes Tyler’s hand and stands up. “C’mon, Ty, we’re leaving so we don’t have to be around this creep anymore.” She storms out of the cafeteria, dragging Tyler along with her.

Patrick stands up from his seat as well. “I suppose if I’m not being welcomed here, I’ll make my leave for now.” He makes his way out of the room calmly.

The others began to trickle out while I finished up my breakfast. I guess that was all for this morning, then. In that case, I should go spend some time with the others. I wanted to make sure everything was still alright with them all.

[FREE TIME - START!]

I was able to find Jeremiah in the rec room, playing a game of billiards by himself. I didn’t really know the rules of that game very well, so I couldn’t tell how well he was doing. Still, it seemed fun.

“How’s the game going?” I ask once I was at the table.

“Fine,” he replies blandly.

“I don’t really know the rules of the game, but I’d like to play with you, if that’s alright.”

“...well, I suppose it’d be nice to win against someone. Every time I play a game with Rick, he beats me in some asinine way.”

“Well, I’m more of a skill guy.” I pluck one of the pool sticks off of the wall and twirl it around in my hand. “I think I can catch on fast.”

Jeremiah lets out a sigh. “Great...”

I spend some time playing billiards with Jeremiah. The two of us grew a little closer today.

I had managed to win the game against Jeremiah, though it wasn’t by much. He still seemed pretty disappointed, though.

“You know,” I say, hoping I can take his mind off of it, “this pool stick would make a great play sword. I wish I had something like this when I was younger.”

“Tch,” Jeremiah closes his eyes and adjusts his glasses. “Is that seriously all your think about? Silly sword play?”

“Well, sure, it’s my favorite thing to do. Kinda comes with being the Ultimate Fencer and all. Don’t you always think about your writing and what kind of ideas you’re coming up with?”

“Well...yes, of course. But it’s completely different. Having new ideas on your mind is a necessity for such a creative field. You just...wave a sword around.”

“Well, it’s a lot more than that...” I mumble. “Here, I can show you.” I get into a starting stance, holding out my pool stick like I would my saber. “Here, copy my stance, we can do a bit of practice together.”

“Abso _lutely_ not!” Jeremiah practically yelps. He jumps away from me, trying to protect his body with his arms and a leg. “I am not playing your...your barbaric little sport!”

“Ah...” I relax my body again and set the stick down. “Alright, alright, sorry. I was just trying to mess with you a bit. You seemed a little stuck-up.”

“Wh— _stuck-up_?” Jeremiah seemed offended by the accusation. “I am not—“ He pauses for a moment. He quickly stands up straight and crosses his arms over his chest. “Look, I just don’t see the appeal in fencing is all. It can hardly be compared to my writing!”

Was that it? He just didn’t like me comparing my talent to his own? Sounds a bit...elitist. But if that’s all it was, it seems easy enough to avoid in the future.

“I guess they are pretty different, huh?” I say, hoping to put a positive spin on it. “My bad, Jeremiah. I won’t do that again.”

“Hmph...” Jeremiah looked at least somewhat satisfied with that response. “Very well. In that case, I have other things to be doing right now, so I’ll be on my way.”

“Oh, yeah, alright! I’ll see you later, then.” I wave to Jeremiah as he leaves the room. He’s definitely pretty conceited, but I don’t think that necessarily makes him a bad person. Just...a little hard to get used to. I’ll have to pick my words more carefully around him.

I went into the school store and spotted Nancy there. She was picking out a snack for herself from the options available. She notices me walk in, though, and grins wide.

“Hey there, Wayne! Come by for some more training, eh?” She places a hand on my shoulder with a big grin. There was no way I wanted to do more boxing training with Nancy.

“Uh, no thanks, Nancy. I just came by to see what you were up to is all, maybe hang out?”

“Heh, pussy.” She punches my arm and I had to suppress a wince. “Yeah, I wouldn’t mind chillin’ with ya for a bit. Not up to much else.”

I rub my arm when she wasn’t looking. Maybe I’ll get some ice later. “Sounds like a plan, Nance!”

“Hey, wanna watch me explode some sleeve off of these t-shirts? I’m telling you I can totally do it!” She heads over to the selection of clothes that the school offered. I had to admit, I’d been curious about her claim since she made it the other day.

“Yeah, why not? I’ve never heard of people doing something like that before.”

I spend some time watching Nancy flex her arms and busting open shirt sleeves. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“Alright, I think that’s all the x-large shirts,” I say. Nancy has been busting her way through them all, turning t-shirts into tanktops. It was a weird mix of intimidating and amazing.

“Heh, yeah, I could do that all day,” she brags, flexing her arms again just to show off. “Me and the girls here just can’t be held back!”

Nancy definitely seemed like the type to smash and shove her way through any obstacle. It’s worked out great for her this far. “I still remember your big debut. I always like to watch sports before a match to try steeling my own nerves and I caught your first match. Seeing someone my own age make it big like you always made me feel a bit better.”

“Ya get nervous before your matches, too, eh?” Nancy asks.

“Ah...Wait, _you_ get nervous before your matches?” I didn’t see Nancy as the time to get nervous or scared. I was surprised to say the least.

“Well, duh!” Nancy says. “But don’t say it so loud, don’t need everyone hearin’. Everyone gets nervous before a match or a game, y’know? It’s a lot of pressure. Especially for me. A teenage girl goin’ up against a bunch of buff dudes? Howd’ya think it’d look if I got my ass kicked out there?”

“You’re way more intimidating than any other boxer I’ve seen, Nance. I guess I don’t worry about that much since I mostly go against people my own age...I just don’t like all that attention on me, I guess. It gets pretty easy to lose myself in the game now but when I was first starting out, the audience would always distract me...”

“Ugh, the audience is the worst. One time I had this total creep tryin’a hit on me during a finals match. ‘Bout knocked his block off. Heh, my brothers totally jumped his ass, though.” Nancy grins wide. “They’re great like that.”

“My sister has to be held back all the time because she'll try to beat people with her sword if they talk badly about me. She’s been kicked out during a couple of my matches before...”

“Aren’t siblings just the best?” Nancy asks, patting my back.

I’ve never seen this side of Nancy before. She’s always acting tough and strong, so hearing her talk about her own vulnerabilities was just...different. Enlightening, I guess. Nosebleed Nancy and Nancy Clark are like two different people.

Nancy looks back at the mess of shirts she left on the ground and huffs. “I better get all this tossed away. Don’t want Jessie naggin’ my ear off.”

“I getcha, Nance. I’ll see you later tonight, Alright?”

“See you then, Wayne!” Nancy gives me a wave and starts scooping up the ruined shirts. I make my way out of the room.

Rita was in the greenhouse when I had entered. She was busy taking care of the plants with an expert’s touch. She was definitely in her environment here.

“I bet you’re pretty happy to have a place like this, huh?” I ask her.

“You have _no_ idea,” Rita says, patting down the earth around the stem of a tulip. She had a trowel and a rake next to her, as well as a small bag of mulch and a watering can. “It feels good to be surrounded by the smell of the earth again.”

“Yeah, I think we all need a connection to the outside again. This room’s pretty great.”

“With no one really taking care of the place, I can tell it’s been needing that little touch. I’ve spent the better part of the last few days here. I was thinking about skipping Cassidy’s dumb curfew for a couple extra hours here tonight.”

I wasn’t too surprised to hear that. I bet Rita would move her bed up here if she could get away with it. “I don’t see Tyler around right now. You want a hand with anything?”

“Yeah, if you could help me get some more mulch over here. I want a bigger bag but carrying it all on my own is a chore.”

“Yeah, I can do that!” I agree. Rita gets up and dusts her hands off on her jeans. I spend some time helping Rita move things around. The two of us grew a little closer today.

We got a couple bags of mulch moved over to various spots Rita wanted them in so they’d all be ready in the future. The two of us managed to get it finished, though, and took a seat on the stairs that led to the catwalk so we could take a break. I had noticed Rita was wearing a surgical mask over her face since we had gotten here.

“So, what’s with the mask?” I ask after a moment. “Feeling sick or something?”

“Oh, right, this.” Rita puts her hand to her mask as if reminding herself it existed. “I have a pretty bad pollen allergy, so I have to wear this when I’m working with plants or else I’ll sneeze my lungs out.”

“You...have a pollen allergy?” That’s not exactly what I was expecting to hear. The Ultimate Gardener, allergic to pollen; kind of ironic, actually.

“Yeah, if I breath in too much of it, my nose gets all red and runny and my throat gets really scratchy. Ugh, it’s the worst. So whenever I’m working with plants, I gotta have my mask on. Keeps most of the pollen out so the worst I usually get is a bit of a sniffle.”

“I’m surprised you’d even get into gardening like that. Sounds like the kind of thing that would make you absolutely miserable.”

“I’m not gonna let something like that get in my way, y’know? People might think gardening is boring or whatever but...it’s a lot more than that. You’re creating life and growing something from nothing. And it’s not easy, either. Every plant needs different amount of light, soil, water, and even attention.”

“What kind of attention do plants need beside all that other stuff you just listed?” I ask her.

“Well...you’ve heard that talking to plants can help them grow, right? That’s what I mean. Interacting with them and giving them attention helps them grow better.”

I had heard about that before, but I thought it was a myth or something. I didn’t know it was a real thing you can do to help plants grow.

“I didn’t know that was true. Do you talk to your plants about anything in particular?”

“Gossip!” Rita says giddily. “I love to gossip with my plants back home! Ty gets stressed out when I do stuff like that with him, so I let it all out in the greenhouse. Nothing keeps a secret better than a flower!”

Yeah, alright, I’m not too surprised by that one. It’s probably why Rita was trying to get some kind of information about my love life out of me last time, so she’d have some material for her plants. I’m still not going to tell her anything like that, though...

“It’s nice of you to care about Tyler’s wellbeing like that. You two really seem perfect for each other, huh?”

“Ty’s a total sweetheart but he gets stressed out really easily. I just do what I can not to make it worse. But speaking of that...you still haven’t told me all there is about you and Cassidy! I know you haven’t! You two have gotten so buddy buddy lately!”

And there it is. I roll my eyes but a hint of a smile crosses my face. “That’s the cue to head out. Nice talking to you, Rita.”

“You can’t hide from the truth forever, you know!” Rita calls out to me as I got up and walked away. “I’ll totally get the answers out of you next time!”

I made my way back to the cafeteria to get myself some dinner. I still planned to meet up with the girls tonight for our usual workout session but I wanted some food in me first. I was pretty excited to get back to testing out my fencing saber again.

Of course, heading that way let me see the list of names once again, and I was back to thinking it over. Three different people wrote my name down and made me the most picked person. It was kind of flattering, really. Cassidy, Nancy, and Giffany all liked me the most and I was happy to have them all as such close friends.

But then I was back to thinking about Giffany. I hadn’t seen her at all today and hadn’t heard about her, either. I was still pretty worried. If she didn’t show up to our meeting tonight, I’d have to try paying her another visit and see if I could get her to open the door or not. It would be worth a shot.

I finished my dinner without interruption and made my way to the gym. Nancy and Jess were both there already and so was Harold, sitting a distance away from the girls in the same position as yesterday. No sign of Giffany...

“Hey, have either of you heard from Giff since this morning?” I ask them. “Know if she’s showing up tonight?”

“No, I haven’t heard from her at all...” Jess says. “She wouldn’t answer her door when I tried to check on her this afternoon.”

“I don’t think she’s tried to leave her room,” Nancy adds. “Probably still shut up in there.”

“Mm...I’ll check in on her tonight, then.” But I wasn’t feeling too hopeful. If she wasn’t answering for anyone else, I don’t know if she’d answer for me this time, either. I could try talking to her during the nightly attendance. It’ll be the easiest time to do so.

For now, while Jess and Nancy were getting to their usual exercises, they were letting me do some practicing with my saber. Even with a week or so of not touching it, I was able to jump right back into using it like nothing had happened. It felt good and comfortable to be using it again. I was happy to get back to this.

Nancy eventually got my attention while I was busy dancing around the football dummy I was pretending was an opponent.

“Hey, it’s gettin’ time to head back to our rooms,” she says. I could see Jess in the corner of my eye escorting Harold out of the room.

I look back up at Nancy and nod. “Yeah, got it.”

“...so, you’re feeling more like your usual self, huh?” Nancy asks me as we started walking to the dorms.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

She nods her head to my saber. “You started using that again. Haven’t touched it since the stuff with Betty.” Even just saying her name made Nancy’s normally loud and confident voice waiver a bit. She blinked a couple times to distract from the fact she had looked away from me. I could tell it was still a sore subject for her. It was for me, too,

“Yeah, I’ve started to feel a bit more like myself, too. It’s been kinda weird not training with my saber and all. It felt good to get it in tonight.”

Nancy nods. “Yeah, I getcha. I guess if you’re gonna go back to using that, I’ll start pummeling some stuff again. Ah...what about Jessie, though?”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right. I guess we can’t really totally focus on our own stuff since she’s not much of an athlete...”

“Mm...I’m sure we can figure somethin’ out with her tomorrow night, yeah? No point in worrying about it.” Nancy ruffles my hair with her hand and grins wide. “I’ll see you tomorrow, loser.” She breaks away from me once we had gotten to the dorm halls and disappears into her room. I smile a bit and head into my own.

I set my saber back into place and get in a quick shower just in time for the nighttime announcement to play.

“Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...I know I will.” The monitors flicker off again with the usual speech out of the way.

Once I was cleaned, I head back into the hall. Cassidy was already waiting for me there, and with a nod to each other, the two of us wordlessly get to work on the attendance. The usual people answer their doors. Giffany was the last person I went to check on.

“Hey, Giff, it’s Wayne again,” I call out as I knock on her door. “I don’t know what upset you, but I’m here for attendance. You don’t have to come out or talk if you don’t want to, but can you at least let me know you’re in there?”

There was silence from the other side of the door and I was worried there wouldn’t be any answer at all, but then I heard a quiet knock that caught my attention.

“...alright, Giff, I heard that. And hey, whenever you feel ready to talk to me, I’ll be ready, too. Okay?”

There’s no answer again. Not even a knock of some sort. I decide to leave her alone and go report back to Cassidy.

“Perfect attendance tonight,” I say. “Aside from Patrick.”

Cassidy lets out a sigh. “His stubbornness knows no bounds...Rita and Tyler didn’t answer their doors tonight, either, it seems.”

“Hm? That’s weird...ah, Rita’s bet she’s just in the garden. She told me she’s been spending time up there and was probably going to skip curfew. Maybe Ty joined her or something.”

“Hm...” Cassidy looks down the hall, clearly contemplating checking it out. “As long as it doesn’t become a habit, I’ll excuse it this time.” She turns away and heads for her own room instead. “Have a good night, Wayne.”

“Yeah, you, too!” I wave to Cassidy as she goes to her room. I was going to go into mine when I noticed Jess’s door open as she stepped out of her room, going to Harold’s. I decide to follow her.

“You want to check on him?” I ask her.

Jess nods softly. “Just to...make sure. He’s been so quiet and distant these last few days. What he went through...I just have to make sure he’s okay. It’s my job as the Ultimate Babysitter, after all.”

“Mind if I come in with you, then? I want to be sure, too.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.” She smiles at me then knocks on Harold’s door. “Harold? It’s Jessica and Wayne. Can we come in?”

We heard a soft click as the door unlocked a few seconds later. Jess opens the door and steps inside with me following close behind. Harold’s room looked like the rest with his own personal touch. A bookshelf sat along one wall, filled to the brim with encyclopedias, non-fiction, text books, and several in languages I couldn’t read. His desk had a book open right now with a few others stacked up. He had a laptop in the room, too, as well as some notebooks filled with cursive.

Harold sat on his bed, silent again. He was wearing far less formal clothing, now clearly dressed for bed. Jess pulls up a chair to sit in front of him and I copy her.

“Harold, do you need me to get you anything before bed?” Jess asks. “Water, or some warm milk, maybe?”

Harold shakes his head, eyes on the floor so we couldn’t meet his gaze. Jess’s lips purse, her brows knitted with worry.

She gently reaches out, a hand over Harold’s, gauging for a reaction. When there wasn’t one, she lightly rests hers on top of his own. “I know what you went through must be so difficult. I can’t imagine the pain you’re in right now. But I want you to know that I’m here for you. And so is Wayne and so many more. We’re all here for you, Harold.”

Harold carefully pulls his hand out from under Jess’s. It balls up into a fist in his lap. “You’re a liar,” he hisses with a bitter tone. “You teenagers are all the same. Dirty liars, waving your age around like it gives you some sort of superiority. I’m not feeding into your complex.”

Jess puts her own hand in her lap. “I’m not lying to you, Harold, I swear.”

“Stop it, just stop! I don’t need you to baby me like a child, Jessica. I’m as capable as any of you and just as intelligent, if not more. So...So stop looking at me like I’m just one of the kids you get paid to care about.”

“Hey, Harold, don’t talk to her like that,” I say. “I know you’re upset and you have every right to be. But that doesn’t mean you can take it out on Jess. She’s just trying to help.”

“She’s not helping. Where do you get off acting so much better than me? It’s your fault he’s dead, you know. If you had just shut up and minded your own business...”

“Then you’d be dead, Harold. And me, and Jess, and all of us. Because Perry would have been the only survivor and no one else would get to leave here. And we both know that’s not what Perry would want. He said so himself, Harold. He was never going to let that trial end the way you wanted.”

“He...” Harold stops and wipes at his face quickly, trying to get rid of any tears before we could see them. “He was just a liar. He looked at me like a little kid...just like all of you. He lied to my face over a goddamn corpse. He knew I could have gotten him out. He knew that...I could have...”

“I know he knew that,” I say. “He knew how smart you were. That’s why he didn’t let you. Because if he did, you could have won. But that’s not what Perry ever wanted. He just wanted you to be safe.”

“...but...I’m not safe. I’m...all alone. He...He left me alone...in this awful place...” Harold didn’t bother stopping the tears from coming down his chin, instead gripping tightly onto his bedding as he began to sob. “It’s not fair...why did he have to die? Why was it him? It’s not fair!”

“I know it’s not, Harold. None of this has ever been fair, and it’s especially not fair to you. You might be one of the smartest people here...but you’re still a 12 year old boy and no 12 year old should ever have to carry this kind of weight on his shoulders,” Jess says softly. “Come here...” She gets up and pulls Harold into a hug, stooping closer to his level so he could wrap his arms around her shoulder in return and cry into her shoulder.

I gently put a hand on Harold’s back as he cries, moving to sit next to him on the bed. “Jess and I are going to be here for you, okay, Harold? You don’t have to be alone here.”

Harold didn’t respond. When he finally stopped crying, he was fast asleep. Jess tucked him into bed and looked at me. “Thank you,” she whispers. “You really were a great help.”

“Any time, Jess. Are you going to stay here tonight?”

She nods. “Yeah...don’t tell Cassidy, okay?”

I smile and put a finger to my lips wordlessly. Jess smiles in return. I leave the room, quietly closing the door behind myself. I head to my own room for the night and hop into bed. Getting to sleep was fairly easy for me that night and I slept well. A first in a while.

...

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

I got up with the announcement, this time not wasting much time having to get ready for the day. I make my way into the cafeteria for breakfast, making sure Cassidy could mark me for attendance. It seems like Giffany still wasn’t showing up today. Was she still upset right now?

I take my seat next to Jess, who was seated next to a much more lively looking Harold. “Hey, you haven’t heard from Giff today, have you?”

“Oh, no, I haven’t. I’ve been pretty worried about her, honestly. I was hoping she’d at least try talking today...” Jess frowns softly and clasps her hands together. “You don’t think something bad happened, do you?”

“Ah, no, I...I think she’s just upset still. You want to go find her? We can see if she’s still in her room or not.”

“...yeah, I think I’d be comfortable knowing where she is at least.” Jess gets up from her seat and leaves the room.

I get up as well, heading back to the dorm rooms with the babysitter. As we got to the hallway, I noticed Harold was following after us.

“Hey, did you want to come check on Giffany, too?” I ask him. I caught Jess’s attention, because she finally noticed him, too.

Harold looks away from us and crosses his arms. “I don’t...particularly care one way or another. I would just feel more comfortable coming with you two...just in case...”

He must be worried something will happen to us. Or maybe he’s worried we’ll end up doing something. EIther way, I can’t blame him for feeling that way.

“That’s perfectly alright!” Jess assures. She holds her hand out, as if expecting Harold to take it, but he didn’t budge. She offers a slight smile and continues walking instead, followed by the two of us.

I knock on Giffany’s door once we reach it. “Sorry to keep bugging you, Giff, but we just wanna check in on you!” I call out. But there was no answer like usual.

“...mind if I try the door?” Jess asks me after we sat in the silence for a few seconds. “I just...have a bad feeling.”

“Oh, yeah, go ahead.” I move out of the way and let Jess take over. She tries the door and it opens effortlessly. The two of us look at each other and quickly make our way into the bedroom with Harold staying in the hall to keep watch. The room was dark and decorated in brightly colored papers and bedding. The only light to the room was a laptop on Giffany’s desk. No internet, but it was connected to a drawing tablet she had hooked up to it. Papers and sketch pads covered the desk, full of concept art for characters and scenery. The pad had more realized character art on it, less sketchy than her papers. It looked like she had been in the middle of a project.

“It doesn’t look like she’s here,” Jess says.

I move over to the bathroom, quietly peeking inside. Dark and empty like the rest of the room. “...yeah, she’s not here,” I say, closing the door again. “But why would she leave her door unlocked?”

“I’m getting worried...” Jess says. “We need to go find where she is.”

I’d feel bad bothering Giffany if she wasn’t ready to face us yet, but at the same time, I couldn’t ignore this growing sense of dread bubbling in my chest.

“Right, yeah...let’s look around for her.”

“Should we go get the others?” Jess asks as the two of us head out of Giffany’s room.

“Get the others for what?” Harold asks us once he joined up again.

“Giffany’s room was unlocked but she’s not in there, and I’m worried. I really think we should get the others.”

“I doubt that is a good idea. If she figures out that we got everyone to search for her, she might start panicking, right?”

“You’re right...” Jess lets out a soft sigh. “Let’s find her quickly at least.”

I nod in agreement and the three of us begin scouring the school for Giffany. She wasn’t on the first or second floor, which led our search to the third. It was quiet when we got there, so no clues as to where she would be.

We decided to check the rooms one at a time from left to right. The school store was first, but no one was in it. Then we went to the greenhouse. Rita and Tyler were both there, sitting on the stairs that led to the catwalk. They were busy talking and barely paid us any mind, so we went off to the next section of the hall. This is where the split was. There was the science lab and the home ec lab.

“I’ll go check in the science lab,” I say.

Jess nods. “I’ll check the other room with Harold, then. See you again in a second.” She heads to the home ec lab with the prodigy following closely, so I make my way to the science lab.

The science lab seemed empty at a first glance, but then the smell of the room hit me. A rusty copper scent permeated the air. The stench of blood. I could see the source of it pooled up around one of the lockers in the room.

I slowly make my way over. I had to step in the dried pool in order to actually reach the locker. There’s...There’s so much of it. The smell is awful and makes my stomach twist painfully. I punch in the code for the door with a shaking finger. I heard the click of it unlocking and slowly open the door. My worst nightmare was unraveling right before me.

Inside the locker was the blooded body of **Giffany, the Ultimate Visual Novelist**. She was curled up in the back corner, one of her hands over her shoulder, her face a sickly pale. She...was undeniably dead.


	23. Chapter 3: Love Is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise~! - Deadly Life Investigation

**Chapter 3: Love is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise~! [Deadly Life - START!]**

I was frozen in place for some time, simply staring down at the corpse before me. A horrible static buzzed in my head, drowning out any thoughts I could have been having. Was this...real..? Giffany...was seriously...oh god...

The door opened as Jess and Harold walked in. “We didn’t see her in there,” Harold says with a sigh.

“Any luck in here? Wayne..?” Jess came closer, but her footsteps stopped somewhere behind me.

“ _KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!_ ” Jess’s high pitched scream ripped through the air, drawing me back to reality with it. I stumble back, bumping into one of the tables and using it to keep myself on my feet.

“Jessica?!” Now Harold runs over, only stopping in his tracks upon seeing inside the locker. He puts a hand to his mouth with a pale expression. “Dear lord...”

The door opened again soon after, a clearly panicked Rita and Tyler entering the room. “Jess, why did you scream?!” Rita demands.

“R...Rita...” Tyler whimpers softly, tugging on her shirt sleeve. “Th-There’s a...a...”

**Ding-Dong~! Bing-Bong~!**

The screens across the school all flicker to life with Mononuki’s yawning face. “ _Yaaawn..._ a body has been discovered, folks...head to the science lab if you wanna get caught up. After a certain amount of time, where you can do whatever you like, the class trial will begin.”

I look over at the others in the room, if only to take my eyes off of Giffany. Jess was in hysterics, her breathing erratic and tears spilling down her face uncontrollably. Harold looked like he was going to be sick, but was spending his energy trying to pull Jess away from the locker. Rita was trying to keep Tyler from focusing on the body by talking to him, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were talking about. It wasn’t long before the others began making their way into the room and discovering the body as well.

Mononuki pops up after everyone had entered and all of the commotion from the various voices quieted down. “Hello, everyone...I’m here to deliver the Monofile like always..!”

“Just...hurry up and do it...” Jeremiah mutters.

“Then get the fuck out,” Nancy adds with a growl.

“Okay, okay...” Mononuki murmurs. Our handbooks ding as the next Monofile is unlocked for us, Mononuki shuffling away once it happens.

_Monofile #3_

_The victim of this case is Giffany, the Ultimate Visual Novelist. She was found in the science lab by Wayne, Jessica, and Harold. There is a puncture wound on the victim’s collar. The victim’s lungs have also suffered from internal damage._

Looks like that was all the info we were going to get from it this time, more information now missing. But...it seems odd that two completely different things were to her.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Monofile #3**

_Monofile #3_

_The victim of this case is Giffany, the Ultimate Visual Novelist. She was found in the science lab by Wayne, Jessica, and Harold. There is a puncture wound on the victim’s collar. The victim’s lungs have also suffered from internal damage._

I look up from the file at the corpse before me. I swallow dryly. Giffany...what happened to you to end up like this..? She didn’t deserve this for even a second. She had been getting stronger and braver and then it all came crashing down...that seems to be how it always is around here, huh?

I make my way to the body and crouch down in front of it to begin my investigation. Even now, she seemed so delicate. I don’t know if I could touch her at all...but I’ll see what I can do. There were at least a few things about her that were easily observable.

Giffany was covered in blood, from the looks of things. She had a hand resting stiffly over a wound at the base of her neck, right where her left shoulder would start. It soaked her sweater and skirts, the bottom of the locker, and had begun to drip out of it. All of the blood was rather dry, though. There was also some blood that had dripped down her chin, coming from her mouth. Her eyes were shut but she had a very pained expression etched on her face. She...must have been suffering...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Shoulder Wound**

_There’s a puncture wound on Giffany’s shoulder where it meets the neck. She had tried to stop the blood with her hand._

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Dried Blood**

_Giffany is covered in her own blood, as is the bottom of the locker and the floor just in front of it. It’s mostly dried._

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Giffany’s Expression**

_Giffany has a pained expression on her face and blood staining her chin. She must have been suffering in her final moments._

I finally look away from the body. I think I saw everything there was to see on her. I hope so, anyway. I can’t keep looking at her right now. I decide to take in the other details of the locker instead. Blood soaked the floor of the locker, unsurprisingly. Speaking of the blood, I don’t see much of it anywhere but on Giffany and the floor. None on the walls or the door.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: State of Locker**

_Only the floor of the locker had blood on it. The door and walls all seem clean._

That seemed to be it for the locker, so now it was time to take in the rest of the room. The others had begun investigating as well. Maybe I could try talking to some of them before they left the room.

I started walking away from the locker, but I ended up kicking something by mistake. I look down to see a steel canister at my feet, a small valve at the top for unleashing whatever was inside. It seemed empty and its label was stained with blood at the moment, so I couldn’t easily identify it. So then what used to be in here..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Canister**

_An empty canister is on the floor near the locker Giffany is in. The label is smeared in blood._

“Hey, is someone gonna shut that thing off?” Nancy pipes up from where she was. “I can’t think with all that racket!”

“You’re actually thinking?” Patrick retorts. 

“You’re...talking about that rumbling sound, right?” Rick asks. “I think it’s coming from...that vent thing over there.” He points to the chimney in the room.

“I got it,” I say. I make my way over and find the switch, flicking it off. Was that on the entire time? I had been so distracted with Giffany that I hadn’t even noticed. Why was this thing on..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Chimney**

_Someone turned on the chimney in the science lab. It’s been running for a while._

I walk over to the cabinet containing the chemicals in the room. The door to the cabinet was currently closed, but I could see that one of the chemicals was missing. The only issue is...I had no way of knowing _which_ had gone missing.

I felt someone tug on my jacket and I look over to see Sasha standing behind me. She casts a glance at the locker dismally before focusing back in on me. She holds up her sketchbook, in which she had drawn out the cabinet of chemicals. Each bottle on her sketch was labeled.

“Ah...did you prepare this before?” I ask her.

Sasha nods and lets me take her sketchbook so I could do a comparison of it and the cabinet. “...ah, it looks like the missing chemical is...phosgene? I’ve never heard of it...” It must be something bad to be found here, though.

I had the sketchbook back to Sasha. “Thanks, that was helpful.”

She flips to a fresh page to begin writing. ‘ _No problem, Wayne! I made that reference in case something like this happened. I couldn’t find a way to close off the cabinet, so I decided it’d be best to have a record._ ’

“It’s smart thinking. You really helped us out.”

Sasha smiles happily at that and holds the sketchbook to her chest. I’m glad I could at least take her mind off of things for a moment.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Phosgene**

_The chemical missing from the cabinet phosgene._

I think that was all there was to see in this room for now. A lot of the others were still around, so it would probably be good to talk to a few of them and see if they have any insight.

I walk over to Jess and Patrick. Jess still seemed rightfully upset, but she had clearly calmed down to an extent. Patrick seemed less than pleased to be the one stuck comforting her, though.

“Hey, guys...” I say softly. I wanted to talk to Jess about something but I wasn’t sure if she was in the condition to do so.

“Oh, Wayne!” Jess lurches away from Patrick, much to his relief, and grapples onto me instead. Her arms were wrapped around my waist and she had her face pressed into my chest with a new wave of tears. “It’s just so awful..! Of all the people for it to be...”

“...I know...” I say softly. I gently pat her back. I didn’t want it to be Giffany either...I didn’t want it to be anyone...

Jess eventually pulls herself up, wiping her eyes dry with the back of her hand. “I’m sorry...I just...needed a moment...”

“It’s alright, Jess. I just wanted to double check with you about something, if that’s alright?”

She nods softly. “Of course, anything at all.”

“You’re certain you never saw Giffany leave her room, right? I just want to figure out the last time she was there.”

Jess thinks back on it for a moment with another sniffle. “...yes, I’m sure of it. She locked herself in her room at about breakfast time yesterday morning and she hadn’t left her room since then. She wouldn’t even respond to me...”

“Right, that’s what I thought. I got her to respond last night. Well, she just knocked during the attendance, but she responded.”

“Alright...okay. Sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

“Hey, you were plenty help,” I assure. “Just take it easy, alright? We’ll get through this.”

Jess nods softly. “I know we will...thank you, Wayne.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Giffany’s Whereabouts**

_Giffany ran to her room the day before soon after the morning announcement. She responded during the nighttime attendance that same night. She wasn’t in her room by the time she was checked on this morning._

I decide to head over to Rita and Tyler next. They had been in the garden and came run when they heard Jess yell. They could know something we don’t.

The two of them were in the back of the room, as far away from Giffany’s body as they could get. Rita was trying to keep Tyler calm and relaxed and she was the first one to address me.

“Hey, Wayne...” She offers me a weak smile, holding onto Tyler’s hand. “This...is pretty fucked up, huh?”

I nod softly in agreement. “Yeah...I just wanted to know if you and Tyler saw anything today? You guys were just a room over from where we found Giff. If there’s anything at all you can think of, it could help us.”

Rita purses her lips. “...I don’t think so. At least, I didn’t hear anything. No one came in the garden either. Tyler and I were just...trying to have a date to steel out nerves in the garden. We’d been in there all day. We talked about it in the lobby last night. Tyler even suggested it. We stopped by the cafeteria for Cassidy’s attendance thing but we didn’t stick around.”

“Well...I did go to my room to...get something first,” Tyler says. “B-But I didn’t see anything weird on my way up to the garden, either! So...I’m sorry.”

“You guys went on a date this morning?” I ask. “I’m sorry it had to be ruined like this...”

“I just hope we can find the killer...” Rita murmurs softly.

“We will, I promise,” I assure her. “Let me know if you guys can think of anything at all.”

“Sure thing.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Rita and Tyler’s Testimony**

_While talking in the lobby the night before, Rita and Tyler decided to go on a date this morning in the garden, skipping breakfast to do so. Tyler had to go back to his room for something, but he didn’t see anything on the way there. Rita also claims to have seen nothing._

No one else had seen any signs of Giffany today, from the sound of things, or anything else strange. But there was one last person I wanted to talk to.

I go over to Cassidy, who was near the body and taking notes on it with an intense expression. However, her gaze relaxed a bit upon seeing me. “Ah, Wayne, did you need something?”

It was still so odd to me that she was this casual with the bodies. I don’t think I can spend another moment looking at Giffany. “Yeah, actually. I just wanted to see if you had any insight? Something to help us out?”

Cassidy looks down at her notes, flipping through the last couple pages. She looks back up to me again. “It might be worth recalling Giffany’s behavior the day before. She had an emotional breakdown, I believe, and fled to her room after seeing the list on the wall. And no one had seen her until now.”

Ah, Cass was right. That had to have something to do with this. After all, if she was in her room, how did Giffany end up all the way up here? I’m sure there’s something to it.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Giffany’s Behavior**

_Yesterday morning, Giffany had an emotional breakdown after seeing the list and fled to her room. No one saw her until the next day, when she was discovered dead._

“Thanks, Cass. Is there anything else?”

“No, I don’t believe so,” she says. “I’ll let you know if I notice anything strange, though.”

I nod and leave her to her investigation. I don’t see anything else in the room out of place, so I decide to head to another one to investigate.

Jess was just in the home ec room, but I enter it myself to look around. She could have missed something since she was only looking for Giffany.

The room seemed in order. Nothing looked like a murder weapon of any sort, everything was orderly...but I notice something strange about one of the lockers. The numbers on it had been scratched out with something. I didn’t have all of these memorized, so I had no way of knowing what the original combination was. Why would someone do that?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Missing Code**

_Someone scratched off the code on one of the lockers in the home ec room._

I was contemplating simply breaking the locker open, but I didn’t see any easy way to do that. I could try asking Tyler about it, he might know how to pop the door open. At the very least, he would have the tools to do so. Or maybe I could ask Nancy? She has raw strength and power, I could definitely see her prying this thing open. Or maybe...

“Oh, you’re already in here,” Rick says, catching my attention. The luckster was half in the doorway, peeking into the room. “Sorry, I can go somewhere else...”

“Oh, no, you don’t need to! I actually need your help with something, if you don’t mind.”

Rick perks up at that. “Huh? You do? What do you need?” He slips into the room, walking over to me.

“Well...someone scratched out the code on the locker here, so I don’t have any way to open it. I was thinking about forcing it open, but maybe with your luck..?”

“O-Oh, I get it! Um...I can try, but I won’t guarantee anything...”

Rick walks over to the locker and I step out of the way for him. He looks down at the keypad with a frown, gently scratching his head. “...well...here goes...” Rick pauses. “...th-this thing won’t blow up if I’m wrong, will it? There’s a few thousand combinations I could possibly pick from here so...”

“Rick, I promise, it’s safe.” I didn’t actually know that, but there’s no way it can end up being dangerous.

Rick sucks in a breath and punches in four numbers. The locker clicks open with ease and he lets the air out. “Alright, there you go.”

“Thanks, Rick. Your luck really is amazing!”

Rick looks away, gently scratching the back of his head. “Um...yeah...sure...” He opens the locker door, letting both of us look inside. Inside was the usual apron that came from the locker, but there was also another outfit in there. The lab coat, gloves, goggles, and surgical mask told me that they came from science lab. They all seemed a bit damp as well. What was this doing here..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Science Lab Clothes**

_A labcoat, gloves, goggles, and surgical mask from the science lab are in a locker in the home ec room. The clothes are a little damp._

“That’s...all that was in there?” Rick asks. “That seems like a lot of trouble to go to to hide something like this...”

“Yeah, you’re right...I guess the killer really didn’t want us to find these for some reason.” But why?

The rest of the room seemed unimportant, so I make my way out, going over to the garden instead. The garden seemed fresh and vibrant. I take notice of the sprinkler system. The switch was set to automatic the last time I had been here, but I could see now that it had been put to manual. I could see there was a bit of blood on it.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Sprinkler System**

_Someone set the sprinkler system to be turned on manually rather than automatically. There’s a bit of blood on the switch._

I look around the garden some more, not finding much for some time. I open the garden shed to look inside. There might be something in here that was used as a weapon or something of the sort. All of the gardening tools were still set up in their usual place. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary at first. But I manage to spot something inside one of the buckets stacked in the corner of the room. It was a screwdriver, shiny and clean like it had been taken care of. It looked well used, though. This definitely isn’t where that belonged. So why was it here at all?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Misplaced Screwdriver**

_In a bucket in the garden shed, there’s a screwdriver. It looks well used and well taken care of._

The garden didn’t seem at all strange besides that, so I make my way out, now with a destination in mind. I make my way to the workshop now.

Entering the shop, I see that Tyler has already beat me to the room to poke around. He noticed me come in and offers a nervous smile. “Oh, um, hey Wayne...did you want to come look around here, too..?”

“If that doesn’t bother you,” I reply. “You know this room better than me, I’m sure. See anything out of place?”

“Mm...one of the screwdrivers has gone missing.” I couldn’t tell if the nervous look on Tyler’s face was worry about the tool itself or worry about the last time a screwdriver went missing.

“It’s in the garden right now, actually. You didn’t leave it there, then?”

Tyler blinks. “...huh? Seriously? That’s weird...uh, no, I didn’t. I’d never just leave tools out like that...”

So Tyler isn’t the one that put it there then? While I can’t be completely sure of that, I do believe he’d take more care of tools.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Workshop Screwdriver**

_A screwdriver from one of the kits in the workshop has gone missing._

“It’s at least the only thing out of place,” Tyler says with a sigh. “I’ll go put it back.”

“Oh, you probably shouldn’t do that. It could be evidence...after the trial, I’ll make sure it’s put away, alright?”

Tyler flinches back a bit, as if I had yelled at him. “Oh...alright...sorry...I’m going to go find Rita then.” He slides past me, leaving the workshop.

I checked the last room on the third floor, but it doesn’t seem like the school store had anything of importance in it. I did know someplace else that would be important to check, though. I make my way back to the dorms.

I enter Giffany’s room, turning on the lights. I’ll make sure to shut them off when I was done here, but I wanted to be able to see. Being in the room again, though, it somehow felt...frozen in time. Decorated to Giffany’s tastes, filled with objects important to her like worn manga and old sketchbooks, a half finished project still flickering at her desk. It was all so well lived in, almost like she’d made it into an extension of herself. The room was waiting for her to come back. But...she never would.

I manage to steel my resolve after a few moments. I was going to avenge her by finding the killer, and the only way to do that was to make sure I missed nothing. Giffany spent so much time in this room that there had to be something in it that’ll help, so I begin to look around more carefully than before.

Giffany’s room was like an organized clutter. I’m sure if she was here right now, she’d know where to find absolutely everything. But for me, it was like wading through a garbage can. Papers and pencils and notes and manga were scattered everywhere on her desk and bed and drawers, making it hard to tell what was or what wasn’t important. I was almost going to give up when I notice a paper tucked under her pillow. I pull it out, revealing a note.

_Hey, Giff. I know you don’t want to come out right now, and you don’t have to, but I’m worried about you. Can we talk tonight at about 7:00? I’ll be in the science lab, I don’t think anyone will bug us there. If you don’t show up, I understand._

_\- Wayne_

“...huh?” What the hell was this..? I didn’t write this! It wasn’t even my handwriting. But...someone had to, right? Was someone trying to frame me with this? Or...did they know who Giffany would respond to? Did...the killer lure her out...and then..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Note**

_A note was tucked under Giffany’s pillow. It read:_

_Hey, Giff. I know you don’t want to come out right now, and you don’t have to, but I’m worried about you. Can we talk tonight at about 7:00? I’ll be in the science lab, I don’t think anyone will bug us there. If you don’t show up, I understand._

_\- Wayne_

I put the note back where I found it, my skin crawling. Who would possibly want to do this to Giffany of all people..?

I look under the bed as well to make sure nothing was hidden there, only to find something odd. It was a fume mask, which definitely came from the science lab. But...why was it in Giffany’s room?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Fume Mask**

_Under Giffany’s bed, someone has left a fume mask._

I couldn’t find anything else in the room, so I decide to make my way out and continue searching the first floor while I had the time for it. The rest of the rooms seemed unused, but I decide to check out the classrooms on this floor as well. However, on my way through the lobby, the list caught my eye.

It was still on the door, exactly as it was left. That had to be related to the motive, right? I should remember what was written on it, just in case.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Motive List**

_A list was posted on the door of the cafeteria relating to who had written down whose name for the motive. It read:_

_Rick - Jeremiah_

_Jeremiah - Sasha_

_Sasha - Jeremiah_

_Patrick - Patrick_

_Cassidy - Wayne_

_Giffany - Wayne_

_Tyler - Rita_

_Rita - Tyler_

_Jess - Harold_

_Harold - Jess_

_Nancy - Wayne_

_Wayne - Cassidy_

I continue my search after that. In the very back classroom, I did manage to find something under one of the desks. It was the miniature sculpture that Tyler had made! Why was this all the way back here, though? Hm...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Tyler’s Sculpture**

_The miniature sculpture that Tyler had made was under one of the desks in the very back classroom._

I had just enough time to set the sculpture back down when the the monitors across the school all flickered to life with Mononuki on them. “Eeeehh...yeah, I’m sleepy...so let’s do the trial, huh..? _Yaaaaawwwn_...mm...head to the elevator on the double...”

I let out a soft sigh and make my way to the elevator in the stairwell along with the others. Everyone gathered at about the same time, so the doors shut behind the group and we began out movement downward.

There was a thick silence to the space. Some people were huddled together. Rita with Tyler, Jess with Harold and Patrick, as well as Rick, Sasha, and Jeremiah. Nancy, Cassidy, and I made our own unofficial cluster. Not a single word was shared as we went down.

Giffany was dead. She...She had been doing better, becoming brighter and more bubbly. She was being herself around us...and someone snuffed that out. Just so they could escape with someone they cared about more. That...was probably Giffany’s greatest fear. To do something like that to her, it was just...unforgivable..!

I was going to find the one responsible. And I was going to make sure they didn’t get away with this.

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open, letting all of us step out. The third class trial has begun..!


	24. Trial 3 Truth Bullets

**Truth Bullet: Monofile #3**

_Monofile #3_

_The victim of this case is Giffany, the Ultimate Visual Novelist. She was found in the science lab by Wayne, Jessica, and Tyler. There is a puncture wound on the victim’s collar. The victim’s lungs have also suffered from corrosion._

**Truth Bullet: Shoulder Wound**

_There’s a puncture wound on Giffany’s shoulder where it meets with the neck. She had tried to stop the blood with her hand._

**Truth Bullet: Dried Blood**

_Giffany is covered in her own blood, as is the bottom of the locker and the floor just in front of it.. It’s mostly dried._

**Truth Bullet: Giffany’s Expression**

_Giffany has a pained expression on her face and blood staining her chin. She must have been suffering in her final moments._

**Truth Bullet: State of Locker**

_Only the floor of the locker had blood on it. The door and walls all seem clean._

**Truth Bullet: Canister**

_An empty canister is on the floor near the locker Giffany is in. The label has been removed._

**Truth Bullet: Chimney**

_Someone turned on the chimney in the science lab. It’s been running for a while._

**Truth Bullet: Phosgene**

_The chemical missing from the cabinet phosgene._

**Truth Bullet: Giffany’s Whereabouts**

_Giffany ran to her room the day before soon after the morning announcement. She responded during the nighttime attendance that same night. She wasn’t in her room by the time she was checked on this morning._

**Truth Bullet: Rita and Tyler’s Testimony**

_While talking in the lobby the night before, Rita and Tyler decided to go on a date this morning in the garden, skipping breakfast to do so. Tyler had to go back to his room for something, but he didn’t see anything on the way there. Rita also claims to have seen nothing._

**Truth Bullet: Giffany’s Behavior**

_Yesterday morning, Giffany had an emotional breakdown after seeing the list and fled to her room. No one saw her until the next day, when she was discovered dead._

**Truth Bullet: Missing Code**

_Someone scratched off the code on one of the lockers in the home ec room._

**Truth Bullet: Science Lab Clothes**

_A labcoat, gloves, goggles, and surgical mask from the science lab are in a locker in the home ec room. The clothes are a little damp._

**Truth Bullet: Sprinkler System**

_Someone set the sprinkler system to be turned on manually rather than automatically. There’s a bit of blood on the switch._

**Truth Bullet: Misplaced Screwdriver**

_In a bucket in the garden shed, there’s a screwdriver. It looks well used._

**Truth Bullet: Workshop Screwdriver**

_A screwdriver from one of the kits in the workshop has gone missing._

**Truth Bullet: Note**

_A note was tucked under Giffany’s pillow. I read:_

_Hey, Giff. I know you don’t want to come out right now, and you don’t have to, but I’m worried about you. Can we talk tonight at about 7:00? I’ll be in the science lab, I don’t think anyone will bug us there. If you don’t show up, I understand._

_\- Wayne_

**Truth Bullet: Fume Mask**

_Under Giffany’s bed, someone has left a fume mask._

**Truth Bullet: Motive List**

_A list was posted on the door of the cafeteria relating to who had written down whose name for the motive. It read:_

_Rick - Jeremiah_

_Jeremiah - Sasha_

_Sasha - Jeremiah_

_Patrick - Patrick_

_Cassidy - Wayne_

_Giffany - Wayne_

_Tyler - Rita_

_Rita - Tyler_

_Jess - Harold_

_Harold - Jess_

_Nancy - Wayne_

_Wayne - Cassidy_

**Truth Bullet: Tyler’s Sculpture**

_The miniature sculpture that Tyler had made was under one of the desks in the very back classroom._


	25. Chapter 3: Love Is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise~! - Deadly Life Trial Part I

All of us step out of the elevator and take our respective places at our podiums. Two new pictures now stood in the growing crowd. Perry’s portrait had his smiling face obscured with messy splatters. Meanwhile, Giffany had an X across her face that looked scribbled on. Just more cruel reminders of what we’ve lost...

Today, the trial room had an added glamor in the form of our podiums. They were now a sparkling gold, shining brightly in the light of the chandelier above them. It didn’t make me feel any better about being here.

Jess looks ready to begin crying again, her eyes on Giffany’s portrait. She takes a few deep breaths to calm herself. Nancy had an intense look on her face as she glared down the portrait, as if that would make it run off in fear.

“Mmnyyaaah...!” Mononuki stretches out on his throne, sitting up with a rub of his eyes. “Okay, okay...I’m awake this time. So now I can explain the trial rules again..!”

“How about you don’t?” Patrick asks. “We get the gist, you don’t need to keep repeating it.”

Mononuki’s little bit of energy seems to be sapped with that. “But it’s my job...”

“Something’s up with the Monofile again,” Nancy says. “Totally looks like it’s missing some bits...”

“A-Ah...being ignored by my own students...I should have stayed in bed today...” Mononuki pouts and curls up on his throne again without another word.

“Surprisingly enough from you, Nancy, that’d be correct,” Jeremiah agrees.

“Hell yeah, it is!” Nancy says with a grin. “...hey, waita sec, what the hell is that supposed to mean?! Do ya want me to come over there and knock your block off in fronta everyone?!”

“The most glaring issue would have to be a lack of a cause of death,” Cassidy says as she eyes her notes, not paying any mind to the fighting. “We do have the rest of the autopsy report, but nothing here to tell us what caused her to die.”

“What? Ugh, at this rate, the damn thing might as well not exist!” Rita demands. “This is so unfair!”

“Mm...well, maybe it’s because of what happened to her?” Rick suggests. “She was bleeding a lot but...that Monofile says two things, doesn’t it?”

“Then I guess what we need to do is put it all together,” Jess says. “Well...I’m ready, then! Let’s do it, everyone!”

This was a big issue. While we didn’t have a cause of death, we had two very clear possibilities. It would be best for us to work through this mystery first.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Giffany was **soaked in blood** ,” Jeremiah says. “She could have had some artery damage, perhaps”

“Yeah, but that’s not all,” Jess steps in. “After all...didn’t the Monofile mention something about... **her lungs**?”

‘ _Something about lung damage, I think!_ ’ Sasha scribbled down.

“They could have made her, uh, I dunno... **drink acid**?” Tyler suggests.

Tyler was getting to the right track, but he was definitely wrong. I’d need to show him what really happened!  
  
 **LOAD Truth Bullet: Phosgene**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“E-Eep!” Tyler jolts at my voice, shrinking in on himself. “S-Sorry, I was just guessing...”

“It’s fine, you were getting on the right track. There was definitely a chemical used on Giffany, but she wasn’t drinking acid. We can actually figure out which chemical was used thanks to Sasha.”

Sasha seemed to recognize that I had said her name and perked up, now fully paying attention to me.

“Hey, Sasha, can you show everyone that diagram you had shown me?” I ask her.

Sasha squints for a moment, trying to figure out what I said. Her eyes flickered from me to Jeremiah, who helped translate. I didn’t pay much attention to the two of them during trials, since I was always so focused on the trial itself. I wonder if he translated often for her?

Sasha smiles once she seemed to have an understanding of things and flipped to the page of the drawn chemical cabinet, showing each labeled bottle in the place it was supposed to be.

“Ah, how long has she had that?” Tyler asks gently.

“She made it the day the floor unlocked,” Jeremiah says. “She wanted to be able to keep track of all the chemicals since so many of them were dangerous.”

“One of the chemicals was missing from the case, if I recall...” Cassidy says.

“That’s right,” I say. “And that’s why I wanted her to show the diagram, because that’s how I discovered it was _phosgene_ that was missing.”

“Phosgene? I’ve never heard of it..” Jess murmurs softly.

“...I have,” Harold finally speaks. It caught almost everyone’s attention. It’s the first thing he’s said since the last trial for nearly everyone. “Phosgene...it’s chemical makeup is COCl2, often used to make plastic...but it was also used in World War I as a chemical weapon. It’s highly poisonous and tends to result in a noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. Some symptoms include difficulty breathing and coughing up blood.”

“Ya finally feel like talkin’ again and all you gotta say is a buncha technobabble?” Nancy asks.

Harold looks like he wanted to say something snarky, but after a moment, he just sighs. “The chemical you’re talking about is a highly toxic gas and makes people cough up blood. That should be all you need to know...I don’t feel like dying right now and you all seemed like you needed that help, that’s all.”

I was glad Harold was talking again in front of everyone. I can think about it later, though, I needed to focus on the trial.

“So she died from the gas...or the blood loss?” Rick asks. “Or...is it even important which one of those killed her?”

“Probably not,” Nancy says. “C’mon, let’s get to pickin’ a killer already! I need someone to pumble!”

“Whether you think it’s important or not doesn’t matter,” Cassidy says. “We need to cover every base. We’re talking about this, that’s final.”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Lung damage or blood loss... **can we even pick one?** ” Jess asks.

“I mean, it probably **doesn’t matter** ,” Nancy says with a sniff. “Let’s just **guess** and move on!”

“Can’t you learn by now we can’t be so risky?” Cassidy chides coolly. “We need to look at the evidence and determine what it’s telling us.”

“But when the evidence is telling us **two different things**...what do we do?” Rick asks.

Was the evidence really telling us two different things? Maybe...but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one answer!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Shoulder Wound**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

Rick jumps in surprised by my voice. “I...I don’t understand how that’s wrong..”

“It might seem like there’s two different things going on, but we do have a way to know how Giffany died. Her shoulder wound, for instance.”

“Oh, yeah, that thing seemed nasty!” Nancy says. She leans forward on her podium. “That means she died from blood loss, yeah?”

“No, not exactly,” I say. “It’s not just the wound, but what she was doing with it. She died with her hand pressed up against her shoulder, right? She must have been trying to stop the bleeding. If she was doing that, could she have really bled to death?”

“Normally, you’re meant to press something down against the shoulder like a cloth to keep pressure,” Patrick retorts.

“...even so, it’s not impossible to simply use your hand,” Cassidy replies, looking up from her notes. “In fact, given the position of her wound, I’d argue that the killer was certainly hoping for her to bleed to death but realized they had failed.”

“What is stabbing her in the shoulder supposed to prove, exactly?” Rita says. “Like, I guess if you want her to bleed like molasse, sure, but how’s that supposed to make her bleed out?”

Rita had a point, but I know Cassidy wouldn’t bring something like that up without reason. Maybe she’s trying to get us to think of something. What does the position of the shoulder wound mean..?

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>The killer wanted Giffany to suffer

>The killer missed their target

>The killer didn’t want to kill Giffany

... _ >The killer missed their target _

“It has to be that!” I announce. “I think what Cassidy is trying to say is that the killer didn’t stab where they wanted. They missed their initial target.”

“But isn’t their target Giffany?” Rita asks. “I’m pretty sure they got the mark with that one.”

“...maybe it was a specific part of Giffany,” Harold says softly. “She...was struck at the base of her neck, right where her left shoulder would start, wasn’t she? I highly doubt any of us are truly skilled murderers...so...what if they were aiming for the jugular?”

“Harold, I thought I asked you not to get near the body,” Jess scolds.

Harold heaves a sigh and looks down, going silent again.

“Any amount of things could have happened to cause that,” Jeremiah continues. “Giffany moved, the killer fumbled or tripped, their aim was off...but it does make sense. It was a single stab wound, which has a higher chance to miss its mark rather than a slash.”

‘ _What does that have to do with this, though? There was still a lot of blood coming from her, right?_ ’ Sasha writes down.

“There was, but I believe that’s the point. The killer missed their mark, but they were close. Giffany was left bleeding, but since her jugular was missed and she was using her hand to keep pressure on her wound, it’s unlikely that she bled to death,” I say.

“I’ve heard enough from you,” Patrick suddenly demands.

“Ah...huh?” I ask.

“I’ve listened to you ramble on long enough, but I think it’s finally time I stepped in,” he explains. “The idea that Giffany didn’t die from the ensuing blood loss is ridiculous, no matter what it is you have to say about it.”

“What? Why would you say that? Cassidy was right, even looking at the wound, we--”

“Enough!” Patrick barks, slamming a fist down onto his podium. “You can’t rely on Cassidy for everything, you know. If you truly believe what you’re saying, then you can explain it better to me, otherwise, you’ll keep your trap shut!”

Patrick suddenly seemed a lot more aggressive. He must not have expected me to try to stand my ground. He’s wrong, though. It’s because of my trust in Cassidy that I know this answer is correct, and I’m going to prove that to him!

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“What you’re claiming is nothing more than a false deduction and I won’t listen to it any longer.”_ /

/ _“You claim that Giffany_ **_didn’t die of blood loss_ ** _, but it’s the most likely cause of death, even with the phosgene taken into account.”_ /

/ _“Really, what could possibly show anything otherwise? There’s nothing more damning than the_ **_blood from her shoulder_ ** _.”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Giffany’s Expression**

“But there’s something else we can gather from Giffany’s final moments to get to the truth. That look on her face...the pain she must have been in...our answer lies there, Patrick!”

[ADVANCE!]

/“ _So your answer is that Giffany...was in pain? Don’t make me laugh, Wayne!_ ”/

/“ _Of course she was in pain, she was_ **_stabbed_ ** _! But that’s just the thing, Wayne; that’s all we can prove._ ”/

/“ _Her expression is what I would expect from a victim such as her, but nothing about it shows that she inhaled copious amounts fumes. For all we know,_ **_she died long before_ ** _the gas could kill her!_ ”/

**LOAD Truth Blade: Giffany’s Expression**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I call out suddenly.

Patrick was taken back, a scowl on his face. “What’s the meaning of this, Wayne?”

“There’s an aspect of Giffany’s expression that you’re missing. The blood that’s running down her chin is just as important.”

“Ah...” Patrick let out a soft noise but fell silent after that. He was clearly deep in thought now, so someone else speaks up.

“Isn’t that just something people do when they get stabbed?” Rita asks. “Y’know, like in movies and stuff. Blood comes from their mouth.”

“Blood running out of a person’s mouth is usually indicative of some kind of internal bleeding in any place that can escape upwards,” Jeremiah announces.

“...why do you always have the answers to the creepy murder questions?” Nancy asks Jeremiah.

“Because I’m an author,” he retorts, pushing his glasses up his nose with his eyes closed. “I’ve written my fair share of murder mystery plotlines. These details are important in such stories, where every aspect is meant to be analyzed and considered. I have to do incredible amounts of research on subjects like this to construct murders that are complex yet solvable to both the characters in the story and the reader themselves.”

“Yeah, so...you’re a total weirdo, huh?”

“Ghhk!” Jeremiah looked very upset by Nancy’s careless remark. “Now you listen _here_ \--”

“Anyway, Wayne, you seem to be putting the pieces together,” Patrick says, cutting Jeremiah off. “Care to explain how this internal bleeding is important?”

“Ah, right. Harold said one of the symptoms of inhaling phosgene is coughing up blood. That means Giffany was absolutely alive at the time the gas was dispensed. If she was alive long enough for her to be coughing up blood, then surely she had to be alive long enough to succumb to it.”

“The blood didn’t get much farther than the locker,” Rick says. “So...I don’t really think she bled enough for it to kill her. Maybe have her pass out, but die? I don’t think so...”

“What would you know about bleeding out?” Jess asks. “Oh, you’re not secretly an author like Jeremiah, are you?”

Rick smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of his head. “Ah...no, nothing like that. I actually have hemophilia, so my blood doesn’t clot like yours does. I did research on blood loss and how to prevent it just to be safe. Giffany definitely lost a lot of blood, but I don’t think it would be enough to kill her without some kind of severe artery damage if she kept pressure on it.”

“So that determines it, right?” Tyler asks. “Giffany...died from that phosgene stuff and not her stab wound?”

“...so I’m confused about somethin’,” Nancy says. “How’d they get that stuff to her anyway? Locker didn’t have any gas in it or nothin’.”

“You being confused isn’t a new thing,” Jeremiah retorts. “But...you have a point. If we’ve determined a murder weapon and a cause of death, then we need to decide how exactly the weapon was used.”

They were right, if we’re certain the phosgene was used as a weapon, then we have to know how it was used. We should be able to work it out, though!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Was the gas **left in the locker**?” Jess asks. “It’d be pretty hard for her to get away from it if it was.”

“Maybe they made her **breathe it directly**!” Nancy pipes up. “That’d kill her for sure!”

“Do either of you even have evidence to support these theories?” Jeremiah asks.

“Well, how are you supposed to poison her with gas if it ain’t inside the damn locker?!” Nancy demands.

“...maybe it **didn’t have to be** put inside the locker?” Rick suggests.

One of these theories was correct, I knew it. And I had exactly what I needed to prove which one.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Canister**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I yell out to Rick.

The luckster perks up at my voice with a thin smile. “Oh, really? That’s...great! I think...”

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” Nancy demands. “How are you supposed to kill her with gas if it ain’t even in the locker?!”

“They could have gotten the gas in from the outside. I found a canister on the floor nearby the locker. If the killer put it next to the locker and turned it on, the gas would be able to seep in and kill her.”

“Wouldn’t the gas also fill up the room itself..?” Tyler asks. “If this stuff is so dangerous, the killer could have ended up dead, too!”

“Yeah, he’s right! How come we didn’t find any of that gas anyway?!” Rita agrees. “Stuff like that doesn’t just disappear!”

Well, that is something important to think about. The gas had to go somewhere...and the killer couldn’t just walk through it...so what did they do about it?

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

Pr________e ___s__es

Prev______ve Meas____

_Preventative Measures_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I declare. “The killer would have to take preventative measures to make sure they weren’t affected by the gas.”

“Great job, Einstein,” Rita says sarcastically. “What kind of measures, though?”

Hmph...the kind of measures are fairly obvious. They would be...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Fume Mask and Chimney

>Lab Clothes and Misplaced Screwdriver

>Canister and Phosgene

... _ >Fume Mask and Chimney _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “The fume mask I found in Giffany’s room and the chimney must have been used to get rid of the gas and make sure the killer could walk around.”

“Ah, yeah, well...” Rita pauses, clearly trying to find some way she couldn’t be wrong. She ends up huffing and crossing her arms. “Whatever...”

Tyler gently pats her shoulder with a meek smile. “It’s alright, Rita...”

“So, we’ve determined how she died then?” Patrick asks. “She was stabbed, put in the locker, then had a deadly gas turned on outside so it would poison her.”

“And...the killer had the means to walk around in the room perfectly safe...” Jess says softly.

“With a fume mask from the science lab and using the chimney, the killer could have entered the room at any time to clear out the gas,” Cassidy says.

“Isn’t that another issue?” Harold asks. “You say any time but...we don’t actually know when Giffany died, do we? The Monofile doesn’t give us any insight.”

“Hasn’t Giffany just been in her room for an entire day?” Jess asks. “Ever since that list was revealed...”

“Hey, who put that thing up, anyway? It was you, right, rat face?!” Nancy shouts to Mononuki.

We all look over for an answer...only to find that he’s fallen asleep.

“Maybe we can just leave while he’s sleeping...” Jess whispers with her hands around her mouth.

“I’m not sleeping...” Mononuki mumbles, still clearly asleep.

Rita huffs and crosses her arms. “Ugh...okay, so, Giff was in her room for a little while...so she had to die this morning, right?”

“Mm...” Rick looks down, a finger tapping his chin gently. “...well, when’s the last time anyone’s seen her? Did...she just stay in her room since that morning?”

If we can establish a time and a place for Giffany, we might be able to get somewhere. We just have to decide what she was up to.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Okay, so **Giffany ran back to her room** the day before we found her,” Nancy says.

“ _So_ ** _no one_ **_saw her at all since then, right?_ ” Sasha writes.

“That would appear to be the case,” Jeremiah confirms. “At least, no one has stepped forward to claim that.”

“Maybe we’re thinking about this wrong,” Jess ponders. “Giffany leaving her room isn’t the only option.”

“Oh, so like, she was kidnapped?” Rita asks.

“Of course! If Giff didn’t leave her room, then that means **someone had to enter it!** ” Nancy declares.

Was that really what happened? Giffany sat in her room until someone dragged her away? Maybe that would be easy enough to do, but something doesn’t add up if we go with that.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Note**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out suddenly.

“What?! C’mon, man, I can have a good idea sometimes!” Nancy pouts.

“Sorry, Nance, but there is some proof that Giffany might have left her room at some point. I found a note stashed away under her pillow with someone asking her to come talk to them at seven in the science lab. They...even signed it in my name.”

“So she was asked to go to the science lab as soon as the morning announcement played?” Tyler asks. “Mm...that’s when everyone else was waking up, are we sure no one saw her?”

“She could have just left early,” Nancy huffs. “She was a bit...I’unno, twitchy. Seems like the type to show up early so she doesn’t show up late.”

“Well...hey, Wayne, that note...” Jess asks. “Did it...specific morning or night?”

“Huh? Oh, I don’t think it did. It just said seven.”

“Then what if Giffany didn’t leave in the morning? What if it was the night before? Everyone knew where she was, she could have been given that note at any moment that day.”

Jess is right, there was a lot of time a note could be given to Giffany. But...I think there’s some evidence suggesting the truth. What shoes that Giffany most likely left in the morning?

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Giffany’s Behavior

>Giffany’s Expression

>Giffany’s Whereabouts

... _ >Giffany’s Whereabouts _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “During last night’s attendance, Giffany responded to me by knocking on the door. If she had left at seven that night as part of the murder, she wouldn’t have been able to knock.”

“Hm...that...makes sense, yeah.” Jess says with a nod. “Then, this morning...she must have gone early so no one would see her.”

“But something isn’t adding up,” Cassidy says after a moment. “If it’s true that Giffany left for the science lab under the impression she was visiting Wayne, why stay when it was clear it wasn’t him?”

“How are we so sure it’s _not_ him?” Jeremiah asks. “Things would be cleared up if we found that he was, and was masking his crime by helping us in the trial as always.”

“Wayne was with me for a long while looking for Giffany,” Jess says. “He showed up in the cafeteria only a few minutes after seven!”

“But didn’t we decide Giffany left early?” Patrick asks. “Although, I suppose you’re all making an assumption in that regard.”

“How would the killer know Giffany left early?” I ask. “They marked the note for seven, so they had no reason to think she’d be there any earlier. If I was with Jess all day, then I wouldn’t have had the time to do half the things the killer did.”

“Then we return to my issue.” Cassidy snaps her notepad shut and looks up at all of us. “Giffany would surely have done something when she realized that Wayne was not the one to write the note. And yet, we found no signs of a struggle in any regard and no one claiming to have heard screaming or fighting. Even if she didn’t suspect she was a target for murder, the situation seems highly suspicious for anyone to stay for. What caused her to stay?”

Cassidy...makes an excellent point. Why would Giffany want to stay in the room and not fight back if she knew that I wasn’t the one asking for her? She’s...admittedly a paranoid person, and was already under emotional distress. She would have done _something_ when she realized she was lied to...wouldn’t she? What’s the answer here? I need to think this through.

[PSYCHE TAXI]

What was strange about Giffany during this murder?

_ >She ended up hurting someone. _

_ >The killer messed up the murder because of her. _

_ >Giffany didn’t retaliate when she saw the killer. _

_... >Giffany didn’t retaliate when she saw the killer. _

Why would Giffany need to react if she saw the killer at that time?

_ >The killer was attacking her by surprise. _

_ >The killer wasn’t who she was expecting. _

_ >The killer was mocking her. _

_... >The killer wasn’t who she was expecting. _

Why are there no signs of a struggle if Giffany should be surprised?

_ >Giffany didn’t fight back. _

_ >The killer cleaned the mess. _

_ >Giffany wasn’t surprised. _

_... >Giffany didn’t fight back. _

Why wouldn’t Giffany fight back against her killer?

_ >The killer caught her by surprise. _

_ >She let the killer attack her. _

_ >The killer knocked Giffany out first. _

_... >She let the killer attack her. _

“I’ve come to a conclusion!” I announce. “The reason that Giffany didn’t fight back...is because she didn’t _want_ to.”

“What...What do you mean she didn’t want to?” Nancy asks. “That’s fuckin’ insane!”

“Wayne...are you sure about this?” Jess asks hesitantly. “What...What you’re implying, it’s...”

“...I think there’s some merit to it,” Jeremiah says solemnly. “If we look at the crime scene and the way Giffany acted, then...”

“Then...Then what..?” Tyler asks meekly. “What...are you trying to say..?”

“Wayne, what you’re saying...it’s...” Jeremiah’s quiet for a long moment. No one else dares to speak. He finally looks at the rest of us with a serious expression. “...it’s that Giffany let the killer murder her. Isn’t that right?”


	26. Chapter 3: Love Is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise~! - Deadly Life Trial Part II

“That...That can’t possibly be what Wayne is saying!” Jess demands. “Giffany would never do something like that!”

“But it does clear up the discrepancy,” Patrick says. “Excluding Wayne being the killer, if Giffany simply didn’t resist, it would explain why there’s no evidence saying she tried.”

“I don’t like this any more than you, but...that’s the conclusion that makes the most sense to me,” I say.

“Well...Well it doesn’t make any sense to me!” Jess retorts. “It doesn’t make any sense at all!”

“...I agree, what says she didn’t resist?” Harold asks after a moment. “A lack of evidence does not indicate a true statement. If you’re so certain she let herself be attacked, there must be something else to suggest that.”

“Yeah, that’s right!” Nancy demands. “Prove it, Wayne! Otherwise, don’t ever say something like that again!”

Gah...people have their doubts. That’s...That’s fair. I have my doubts, too, but if we can talk our way through this then I think we can figure out what’s really going on.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I know Giffany was **upset** , but that’s hardly grounds to suggest she would do something so...so drastic!” Jess’s voice dripped with desperation.

“Does anyone know how upset she was, though?” Rick asks. “I mean...she **didn’t talk to anyone** since she ran to her room.”

“Well, **we know what upset her** , don’t we?” Nancy asks. “Most of us were there when she ran away!”

“That...can’t possibly be it, can it?” Tyler asks. “Why...did she even act that way about it..?”

‘ _Maybe something about it was_ **_different_ ** _for her,_ ’ Sasha writes down.

Something...different for Giffany? Could it be...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Motive List**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I call out.

Sasha notices me that time and almost seems upset, but she must have picked up on my expression because she perks up instead.

“Uh, how did it affect her differently?” Rita asks. “It’s not like she read a different list than the rest of us!”

“But you’re not seeing it from her point of view. Unlike a lot of us, nobody wrote down Giffany’s name as the person they’d want to share the rules with.”

“Uh, so?” Nancy asks. “Pretty sure no one wrote my name. Same with Ricky over there.”

“Giffany was rather emotionally unstable,” Patrick says.

“Don’t talk about her like that!” Jess demands. “She...She was finally coming out of her shell, all she needed was love and support from the rest of us! She was getting that, finally! I don’t see why that list changes anything!”

“Think of it this way,” I say. “Everyone was told to pick the most important person in the game to them, before we knew what Mononuki was planning. Giffany was coming out of her shell and making friends, and none of us wrote her name down. We all picked someone else. And...that must have been devastating for her. She probably thought that we didn’t consider her important...”

“But...But we did!” Jess was beginning to tear up, but she had a determined look on her face. “The way we felt about her never changed!”

“...I...I know...where Giffany would be coming from,” Tyler says meekly. “Um...I mean, I probably would have felt the same...if my name wasn’t on that list. It’s really crushing, thinking that no one cares about you. I...I’m really lucky to have Rita here with me because of that! But...GIffany wouldn’t have that, would she.? She had friends, but she didn’t start out with any connections here, so...she must have felt alone and lost. Even if she had friends, realizing that...that even they had friends they considered more important than her. It...It would crush her. It’d have crushed me, and...and I think we related on that front”

“It’s not anyone’s fault that her name wasn’t written down,” I assure. “But it’s like Tyler says. She must have been crushed, even if we did care about her, because she realized there were people more important to us than her. Which means...she’d think she’s...expendable...”

“Stop it!” Jess screams. Tears were beginning to stream down her cheeks, but there was a clear fury on her face. “Stop...Stop talking about Giffany like that! We were helping her! She was coming out of her shell, making friends, happy and smiling! She...She wouldn’t have just let it end like that! You don’t have any proof! None, not at all!”

“What? Jess, I...I don’t want to be thinking about it like this, either. But we have a reason for why Giffany would act the way she did and--”

“I don’t care! Just stop it, Wayne! Stop talking! I refuse to believe Giffany would give up like that after all the progress she had been making! It’s just not possible, not at all!”

She’s...really going to fight me on this, isn’t she? I don’t want to think about Giffany being that way, either. It hurts knowing that she would feel like that, to feel alone after thinking she wasn’t. But...this is the answer that makes the most sense. And if Jess was going to stand in my way, I’d just have to show her the truth.

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“Giffany wouldn’t just give up like that, I know it! You have to be wrong!”_ /

/ _“The killer must have done something to stop Giffany from reacting!”_ /

/ _“It must have to do with where we found her, right?!_ **_Putting her in the locker_ ** _must be the answer!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: State of Locker**

“I don’t think GIffany being in the locker would have stopped her from fighting at all. We decided she was still alive when she was forced in because the gas was used to kill her.”

[ADVANCE]

/“ _Then she fought inside the locker and_ **_no one heard her_ ** _!_ ”/

/“ _She must have been so scared and trapped in there, there’s no way she wouldn’t have fought!_ ”/

/“ _The reason we couldn’t find any proof before was because_ **_she couldn’t have done anything_ ** _to prove she tried to escape from in there!_ ”/

**LOAD Truth Blade: State of Locker**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I yell out.

“H-Huh? What...What do you mean?” Jess wipes her face with her arm and sniffles. “No...No, I’m right! I have to be!”

“No, you’re not, Jess. There is evidence to show that Giffany didn’t fight back at all and it’s because she was in that locker that we have that proof.”

“W...What..? I...I don’t understand.”

“Giffany was bleeding a lot. So much so, she was covered in it, and so was the bottom of the locker. But looking at the walls and the door, there wasn’t any blood to be found. If she had tried to escape at all, there would be more blood smeared there. But there’s none.”

“She was found curled up in the back of the locker, cradling her wound,” Cassidy remarks. “Then...if this is all correct, that’s likely the position she had when she got there. It would explain the stark lack of a mess to be found.”

“No, that...that can’t...be true...” Jess says weakly. All that fire was gone from her, tears freely streaming down her cheeks as all she could express was sorrow. “Giffany...I thought we were really helping you...I thought...I thought you’d stay with us and...make so many friends...just like you wanted. Why...” Jess was breaking out into more sobbing, messily wiping at her face to try and clean up the tears. “WHYYYYYY?! GIFFANYYYYYYYY!”

I can’t possibly imagine what it must have been like for Giffany when that list was released. To begin thinking that no one cared about her enough to see her live alongside them. When she got that note, she must have been so excited she’d be reached out to like that. Only...to be crushed again...when the killer revealed themselves...

Jess cried at her stand for a few minutes, her head in her arms as she rested them on the podium. Patrick begrudgingly moved to her side, looking away as he put a hand on her shoulder awkwardly. He offered a pat every so often as Jess let it out.

Patrick returned to his podium once Jess had collected herself enough to stand up again. There was a heavy silence in the air still, the real weight of what we had just discussed allowed to sink into us all.

“...if everyone is done with that,” Patrick finally says, seemingly unaffected by the heaviness in the air, “we still have one more major mystery we need to solve before we can talk about suspects.”

“And...what would that be?” Rick asks hesitantly.

“The weapon.”

“Didn’t we already find that?” Rita asks. “It was the phosgene. That’s what killed Giff.”

“But there are two weapons,” Harold says. “Something was used to stab Giffany. We never found anything like it at the scene, which means the weapon is somewhere else.”

“Then...let’s figure it out,” Jess sniffles. “I want to show Giffany that I cared about her...so let’s figure it out!”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“The wound wasn’t your **typical shape** ,” Cassidy says as she flips through her notes.

“Typical? So, like, **not a knife**?” Nancy asks.

“Bladed objects of any sort would be out of the question with that logic,” Jeremiah explains. “It must have been something less conventional then...”

“The killer wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave it laying around, right?” Rita asks. “They must still **have it on them**! Let’s do a pat-down!”

Would the killer still have the weapon on them? That could be the case...but didn’t I see something before that could be right?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Misplaced Screwdriver**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“C’mon, I wasn’t gonna get all creepy about it!” Rita demands.

“...not...not the pat-down. I mean to say, I don’t know if the killer left the weapon on their person. There is something else that could work just as well. I found a screwdriver sitting in the garden tool shed.”

“Hm...a screwdriver would correctly match the type of wound Giffany has,” Cassidy ponders.

“Then we got a suspect already!” Nancy declares victoriously.

“A-Ah, no, please, not again!” Tyler whimpers. “I swear I didn’t do it, I swear!”

“Hey, what did I say last time?!” Rita demands. “You asshole don’t get to keep accusing me and Tyler of murder like this! I warned you I’d stop talking to all of you!”

“Then why are you still talking?” Patrick retorts.

“I’m not anymore! Starting now! Not until you apologize and leave us alone!”

“Look, this is a simple fix,” Jeremiah says. “Can we prove where the screwdriver came from? We do have access to them now, Tyler is no longer the only source.”

Jeremiah’s right, there is another place it could be found in. Other than Tyler, the screwdriver could be from...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Workshop

>Storage Room

>School Store

... _> Workshop _

“It has to be that!” I say. “The screwdriver could have just as easily come from the workshop. Tyler and I noticed one of them had been missing from its casing.”

“Y-Yeah, exactly!” Tyler demands. “So...So it’s seriously not me!”

“...Wayne, what was the condition of the screwdriver?” Patrick asks. “Did it look like a murder weapon to you?”

“Huh? Oh, well...” I frown softly as I think. “...no, I guess it didn’t. It seemed clean and it didn’t really look like anyone wiped it down recently.”

“Exactly. Tyler, you wouldn’t mind showing us your own screwdriver then, would you?”

“Y-Yeah, of course, here!” Tyler quickly pulls out his screwdriver and holds it out in front of everyone...

...and we could all see that the entire length of the tool was covered in dried blood.

“Oh god!” Tyler shrieks. He drops the screwdriver, putting both hands over his mouth with fear in his eyes. “I...” He moves his hands away, looking up at the rest of us. “I-I don’t know why it’s like that! I swear, it...it wasn’t this morning! I promise!”

“No one can verify that, though, can they?” Harold asks skeptically.

“I-I...” Tyler whimpers loudly, clearly distressed.

Tyler...had the weapon with him the whole time? I never thought to check his screwdriver during my investigation at all. Does this really mean...he’s the killer?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Tyler’s Screwdriver**

_Tyler’s screwdriver is covered in blood. It was in his tool belt like usual and he pulled it out during the trial._

“I mean...outta everyone here, he’s got the best reason to do it,” Nancy says. “With a girlfriend and all.”

“There...There must be an explanation for it,” Rita retorts. “Like...I know! Someone must have switched it out with his own after the murder! Yeah, that’s it!”

“Oh, please, like we’re going to fall for that,” Jeremiah sneers.

“But she’s right!” Tyler demands. “Someone could have! You can’t start a-accusing me just on that! Please, give me a chance, I swear I didn’t do it!”

Whether or not Tyler is the culprit, we still have things to figure out. If we want to get there, we need to clear up the air more.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I really **didn’t do it!** ” Tyler demands. “Please, you have to believe me!”

“That’s not a very solid case,” Patrick retorts.

“And right after we started linking the crime to you, we find **nearly indisputable evidence**...” Jeremiah says solemnly.

‘ _It’s still only nearly! There could be other answers!_ ’ Sasha scribbles down quickly.

“Yeah!” Rita agrees. “Like...Like someone **switched them out this morning!** ”

I don’t want to think Tyler is the killer...but there’s something wrong with the defense Rita is trying to create.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Rita and Tyler’s Testimony**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“Hey, that’s not wrong at all!” Rita snaps. “Don’t say stuff like that!”

“But it is wrong,” I say. “And we know it is because of something you two told me yourselves about this morning.”

“H...Huh?” Tyler responds meekly. “What...What are you talking about..?”

“You guys told me about your morning together, right? You and Rita sat in the greenhouse since breakfast.”

“B-But I went back to my room for a few minutes!” Tyler quickly interjects. “I...It could have happened then!”

“But you never mentioned seeing anyone during that time, isn’t that right? And Rita, didn’t you say that you didn’t see or hear anything until the BDA? Who could have possibly slipped you the screwdriver?”

“I..I...” Tyler looked frazzled. “No, it...it wasn’t Rita, I know that! So...So then...it was...um...” Tyler looks down, biting his lip. “...I-I don’t know, but...”

“There...There has to be someone...” Rita murmurs. But she seemed...almost doubtful now.

“Hold on a minute,” Harold says. “Things aren’t adding up again. If it’s true that the killer stuck this morning, right about the time of the morning announcement, how would Tyler be able to be the killer if he was with Rita the entire time?”

“That’s right!” Tyler quickly agrees. “That’s right, yeah! I couldn’t have done it, Rita’s my airtight alibi!”

“Your airtight alibi is the girl who has everything to gain from you killing and getting away with it?” Patrick asks. “Yeah, I really buy that one.”

“But it’s true that I saw them both at breakfast, even if it was just a moment,” Jess says. “In fact...now that I think back on it, was anyone even missing in the morning?”

“Now...that you mention it, I don’t think so,” Rick says. “I mean, other than Giffany, I’m pretty sure we all went right to the cafeteria for Cassidy’s morning attendance.”

“That...That doesn’t make any sense at all,” I say. “...does it?”

“If the evidence isn’t adding up, then a mistake was made somewhere,” Cassidy says. “Try to think back on what we’ve talked about. How did we get to the conclusion that the killer had to strike this morning?”

Think back...we did talk about it before. A reason we had gotten this far. It was...

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

Gi______ _____ab____

Giffa____ _hereab__s

_Giffany’s Whereabouts_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I declare. “We ended up getting to this point because of the attendance last night, right, Cassidy? Giffany knocked on her door then, so we knew she was still alive at the time.”

“How can Giffany still be alive last night if the killer wasn’t away long enough for them to kill her this morning?” Patrick asks.

“Does...that mean someone would have to...pretend to be Giffany?” Rick asks.

“Huh? Pretend to...” I pause. A knock on the door, no voice at all, no way to actually know if she was alive or not. “...that...that would mean that we were wrong, then. If someone was in Giffany’s room in order to fake her attendance, that means she had to have been killed last night. She didn’t get that note late that night, she got it that afternoon. 7:00 would be _at night_ for her, then.”

“Giffany...was dead all night..” Jess says softly. She looked ill and I was worried she’d start crying again.

“B-But that means there’s a lot more suspects, right?!” Tyler asks, as if begging. “So...So you don’t have to keep accusing me!”

“No, if someone was hiding in Giffany’s room, then our only suspects would be everyone that wasn’t there for the attendance,” I say.

‘ _So who missed it?_ ’ Sasha writes down.

The people that missed the attendance were...

>Me, Cassidy, and Giffany

>Patrick, Tyler, and Rita

>Rick, Jeremiah, and Sasha

... _ >Patrick, Tyler, and Rita _

“It has to be that!” I say. “Patrick, Tyler, and Rita were the only three missing from the attendance last night. That means whoever was in Giffany’s room would be one of them.”

“You keep talking about someone being in Giffany’s room, but you haven’t even proved it,” Patrick says. “And now you want to have me be a suspect, so you better be ready to explain yourself.”

“Yeah, I’m not buying it, either!” Rita demands.

“Some vow of silence this has been...” Jeremiah comments.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“You said that you thought Giffany was in her room because she **knocked** ,” Patrick says. “Is that right?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that statement, is there?” Cassidy replies.

“There’s all kinds of stuff wrong with it!” Rita demands. “She wasn’t **talking** to anyone at all, of course she didn’t feel like speaking!”

“Giffany knocking does seem... **in character** for her,” Rick admits. “Are you sure that’s it? She didn’t do anything else that night?”

“Wayne and I went into Giffany’s room today,” Jess says. “He might have **seen something in her room** I missed.”

I might not have seen anything in Giffany’s room the first time, but I went in there a second time. The killer must have left something behind...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Fume Mask**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I shout.

“Ah, I knew it!” Jess exclaims. “So you did see something?”

“The second time I was investigating Giffany’s room, after we found her, I saw someone had put a fume mask under her bed.”

“A fume mask...didn’t we say the killer would need it because of the phosgene in the air?” Jeremiah asks.

“If it ended up in Giffany’s room, that means the killer would have to go there at some point,” Cassidy says. “And if we work with the assumption she was killed before the nighttime announcement, then the killer posing as her for attendance would be the perfect time to be there.”

“Which brings us back around to those of you without an alibi,” Jeremiah says. “So...Tyler, Rita, Patrick...where were all of you?”

“I was in my room,” Patrick says. “Just because I don’t answer my door late at night doesn’t mean I’m anywhere else.”

“I was in the greenhouse, obviously!” Rita says. “Wayne, Ty, you two can back me up on that, can’t you?!”

“Well...I didn’t see you there since I didn’t think to check,” I say. “But you did mention to me you planned to be there that night.”

“Yeah...me, too...” Tyler murmurs.

“So, where were you, Tyler?” Harold asks.

“...ah...” Tyler looks away with a nervous frown. “I...I um...I was...in...one of the...classrooms...”

“...what? Why?” Rick asks.

“U-Um! Rita wrote me a note, saying she wanted to go on a date with me! And, um, she wanted to meet...in the classroom. At...At 6:45 that night. She, um, didn’t show up...so...we had the date this morning instead when I went to find her...I think half an hour before the announcement. She said she was going to spend the night in the greenhouse and I...I was going to go straight to bed, I swear, but...I...had to go look for something and I ended up missing it...”

“And is this true, Rita?” Harold asks. “Because if it is, you’ll have to explain why you didn’t show up to a date you organized.”

Rita frowns softly. “Well we did agree on a date for this morning but...I...I don’t know what Ty is talking about, actually...”

“...h...huh?” Tyler squeaks.

“I never wrote any notes, Ty. I mean, if I wanted to go on a date with you, I’d just ask! I thought you had been asking me on one that night...”

“W-Wait, no, that’s...that’s not...it was in your handwriting!” Tyler was looking more nervous, desperate even.

“Can you show us the note?” Jeremiah asks. “I bet Sasha could help us compare handwriting on it if that’s true.”

Sasha nods in agreement, holding up her pencil and sketchbook in preparation.

Tyler begins to frantically check his pockets, searching for the note he claimed to have. “I...I...I swear, I should have it...” But all of his pockets turn up empty. “G...Guys, I...I’m serious, I had a note! I know Rita sent it! She...She did! Rita, please, tell them!”

Rita looks away, frowning softly. “Tyler, I...I really didn’t send a note...”

“N-No, I...Rita, please, you at least believe me, don’t you?”

Rita doesn’t say anything, her gaze further avoiding the desperate search of Tyler’s eyes.

“...Rita..?” Tears begin to fill Tyler’s gaze, a desperate plea all that could escape him.

“...I’m sorry, Ty, but...between this, and the screwdriver, and the time of death...I...I don’t think I...”

Tyler’s features were overcome by an expression I’ve never seen on another person before. I could only describe it as...utter despair.

“Someone...Someone, please believe me!” Tyler screams desperately. “I’m not the killer! I didn’t do this! I...I’m being framed! I know I am, so please! Please believe me!”

There was silence in the trial room. No one would meet Tyler’s desperate gaze. Was this...the right answer? Was Tyler really the killer..? Everything was starting to point at him, and yet...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“ **I’m not the killer** , I swear!” Tyler screams. “Please...PLEASE BELIEVE MEEEEEEEE!”

“Tyler...” Rita closes her eyes, tears slowly trickling down her face.

“The evidence is **stacking against you** , I’m afraid,” Cassidy says solemnly. “If you want us to believe you, you’ll need a real defense. Otherwise...”

“What do you want me to say?!” Tyler demands. “Anything! I’ll say anything you want, just please believe me!”

“...what about his alibi?” Jess asks. “Maybe there’s some way to **prove it** , even without the note!”

“His alibi is as **unsubstantial** as the rest,” Patrick chides.

Tyler’s alibi seems unreliable, almost fake. Without that note, it’s difficult to prove...but not impossible.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Tyler’s Sculpture**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“What?” Patrick growls, glaring at me.

“I think we do have a way to prove Tyler’s alibi. I investigated the classrooms and there was something in the very back room. A small sculpture that I recognized as one Tyler made, under the desk.”

“H...H-Huh..?” Tyler whimpers. “My...My sculpture? I-I was...trying to find that this morning! I...I wanted...to give it to Rita...during our date...”

“That’s why you went back to your room, right? In order to find it?”

Tyler nods quickly, taking a few deep breaths to try calming himself down. “...y...yeah. It wasn’t in my pocket, so...I went back to get it. I couldn’t find it, though...and I didn’t want to make Rita wait for me...”

“So...that would mean Tyler had to be in the classroom at some point, right?” Jess asks. “Why go in there if that whole thing was a lie for the murder? That just doesn’t make sense.”

“Is that really enough to clear him of suspicion though?” Patrick asks. “One small thing doesn’t change the fact that so much is making him suspicious.”

“He’s got a point, the bastard,” Nancy says. “Ty’s super suspicious, can’t deny it.”

“Rita shares suspicion, too, doesn’t she?” Harold asks. “Her alibi is more flimsy than Tyler’s. As a matter of fact, it seems like she was telling people where she would be that night just to construct one.”

Jeremiah adjusts his glasses with a serious face. “You make a fine point. Rita is just as likely and she could even clear up some of the evidence against Tyler.”

“...well...I-I think it’s Patrick! I mean, it’s...definitely weird but I think he’d definitely do it just to get himself out. Um...no...offense, Patrick...” Rick was trying to shy away from the cosplayer’s gaze.

' _I agree with Rick!'_ Sasha writes down. ' _It would make sense for it to be Patrick because of how Rita and Tyler are acting!'_

“P-Please...Please stop accusing me!” Tyler wails. “You have to believe me, please!”

“Are you for real?!” Rita demands. “I...I didn’t fucking do this! Why don’t you buzz off?!”

“Tch...this is completely unacceptable. What grounds do you have to accuse me on?” Patrick asks.

“ ** _I’m not the killer!_ **” all three of them demand at once.

With all these conversations beginning to crop up, it’ll be harder to keep track of what everyone is trying to say. But it just means I need to pay close attention and listen in for anything strange!

[FRACTURED DEBATE]

“I have proof of my alibi!” Tyler wails. “I didn’t do it, I swear! Please, please believe me!”

“Wow, one little sculpture on a **mountain of evidence!** ” Nancy says snarkily. “I totally believe you now.”

“Don’t disrespect what one piece of evidence can bring to the table,” Cassidy warns.

...

“Rita and Tyler would be working together on something like this, wouldn’t they?” Rick asks.

' _Exactly!'_ Sasha agrees. ' _But they_ **_haven’t at all_ ** _this trial! You’re the odd one out!'_

“Tch, I can’t believe you’re working on such a flimsy basis...” Patrick grumbles.

...

“Tyler might be suspicious,” Harold begins, “but a lot of the evidence against him works as evidence against you, too, Rita.”

“Your motive is just as valid as his would be, since either of you would be working to save the other,” Jeremiah adds.

“This is so stupid! You jackasses are seriously sitting here accusing me while my boyfriend is already being treated like crap?! Besides, **none of the evidence** can possibly be against me anyway!”

...what? Something said just now...it doesn’t make sense to me. Could it be that..?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Tyler’s Screwdriver**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out over the rest.

Everyone stops, but it’s Rita that seems the most shaken. “Wh..What? What do you mean?”

“There is something that we’ve talked about that was strongly used against Tyler...but works just as well if you were the killer, Rita. Tyler’s screwdriver.”

“That’s...That’s insane!” Rita demands. “Why would his screwdriver implicate me?!”

“Tyler could have used it himself, sure. But we were discussing the possibility of someone else using it, right? And...Rita, you were the only one around him that night and that morning, weren’t you? If anyone was going to be able to do that, you’re the only one.”

Rita looks surprised. “Th...That’s...--”

“H-Hey, leave her alone!” Tyler demands. “I...If you’re gonna accuse either of us, then I’d rather it be me! So leave Rita out of this!”

“Y...Yeah, buzz off!” Rita demands. “Is that all you got?! H-Huh?! God, why can’t all of you shut your mouths?! I’m getting so sick of your shit!”

“Tyler and Rita...do both seem suspicious...” Jess says. “Either one of them seem capable of doing this but...there’s only one body so...”

“So it could only be one of them,” Patrick grumbles. “I’m feeling an awful sense of deja vu.”

“It’s not either of us!” Tyler yells.

“You all need to back off already!” Rita demands.

Rita...or Tyler. It was really coming down to these two, wasn’t it? Unless we were totally on the wrong track and someone did an amazing job of making them suspicious. But...I think I can begin to determine a killer. I know who to accuse.

[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O’Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Watanabe

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

"The killer is...you!"


	27. Chapter 3: Love Is the Secret Ingredient to Your Demise~! - Deadly Life Trial Part III

“...huh..?”

I had my finger pointed at my suspect, drawing out a surprised sound as they stagger back. The look on Rita’s face in that moment was a cruel mixture of anger and fear.

_> Rita O'Connor_

“You...You can’t be serious!” she demands. “Me?! I...I’m not...”

“Rita..?” Jess asks. “Wayne, why...why her?”

“There’s plenty of reasons it can be her,” Patrick says. “We did discuss some of them.”

“But...was it enough to really accuse her?” Nancy asks.

“Y...Yeah. Yeah! Why me, huh, Wayne?! Why me?! You wanna back it up?!” Rita shouts. “Prove it! Prove it, you bastard!”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“You better prove it, Wayne! I’ll never forgive you for this!” Rita shouts.

“Could it be all that **evidence against Tyler**?” Jeremiah asks. “It was quite the collection of valid points we decided could apply to either of them.”

“No, leave Rita out of this!” Tyler demands. “There must be **another suspect** we’re missing!”

“We need something definitive,” Harold says.

“ **All of the evidence** is centered around Tyler,” Rick argues. “What do we have otherwise?”

Is that really true? There has to be something pointing to Rita, I just know it!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Sprinkler System**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell.

“W-Wha?!” Rick exclaims.

“There is some evidence that could point to Rita. The greenhouse sprinkler system, for instance.”

“What? There’s nothing wrong with it, it works just fine!” Rita demands.

“Yeah, it does work fine. In fact, it has two modes in works in. Manual and auto. I remember it being set to auto when we first entered the greenhouse the day it opened. But now it’s been set to manual.”

“I...I don’t...” Rita shakes her head. “S-So what? Got a problem with that, Wayne? God, you’re so--”

“I _do_ have a problem with that, because the switch used for the two modes had blood on it. Rita, I need you to tell me right now. What do you usually keep the system set to?”

“...a...auto...” she says softly. “...b-but what does that have to do with me? Anyone could set it!”

“Why would it be changed?” Cassidy says. “What reason would you have to do that? And furthermore, if someone else did it, then when would they do that? If you were in the greenhouse all night and this morning, when would another person ever have the chance to change the system?”

“Th...That...” Rita looks between Cassidy and me frantically. “I...”

“So what if she changed it?!” Tyler interjects. “That blood...could have been done by someone checking the room! Maybe they saw her and left, I-I don’t know! What does any of that have to do with the murder, anyway?! Why would the killer need that system set to manual?”

“Y-Yeah, exactly!” Rita says. “You guys...You’re just a bunch of jerks, all of you! Yeah! All you want to do is tear Tyler and me down! You’re all jealous, aren’t you?! Why can’t you just leave us alone already?!”

“Rita, no one is trying to tear you down!” I demand. “No one wants to sit here and accuse each other! But we have to do it so we can trust each other. Because if there’s ever a chance that you aren’t the killer, we need to go over every detail to prove you’re innocent! You have to trust us so we can trust you! Even now, I don’t want you to be the killer!”

“Ghh!” Rita was taken back by my words. “I-I...I just...I know I’m not the killer, and...and now you’re trying to say I am. You were the one that did this, Wayne! You said I was the killer, and...and I won’t forgive you for that!”

I know that Rita was mad, and she has every right to be, but the more we put the pieces together, the more she becomes the only suspect. I want to be wrong, but if we can’t find any faults in the theory, then...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Tyler poses an interesting question,” Jeremiah says. “No matter who it was that changed the sprinkler system, what could the killer gian from doing that?”

“Maybe the **water was needed** for some reason,” Jess says.

“There are **plenty of places** to get water on that floor, though,” Harold interjects. “Why the sprinklers specifically?”

“It could just be because Rita was **watering the flowers**!” Tyler demands. “What else is a sprinkler for?!”

Tyler, I know you just want to defend her...but there’s something being overlooked on purpose now.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Science Lab Clothes**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I declare.

“N-No!” Tyler shouts back. “That’s--”

“Watering flowers isn’t the only thing you could use that system for,” I say. “After all...it would be perfect to wash something off with!”

“Oh!” Rick perks up. “You’re talking about the lab clothes, right?”

“Hm? What lab clothes?” Jeremiah asks.

“Wayne and I opened one of the lockers in the home ec room and found the lab clothes in there. They were still damp...”

“So the killer went and washed themselves off with the sprinkler system?” Jess asks.

“If anyone saw the killer walking around in the clothing from the lab, a lot of questions would be raised,” Cassidy says. “It would make sense to wash off nearby.”

“Why would they leave something like that so out in the open, huh? That’s stupid!” Rita demands. “There’s no way it’s important! It...It must be something else!”

Out in the open? No, that’s not right. The killer tried to hide it because of the...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Workshop Screwdriver

>Fume Mask

>Missing Code

... _> Missing Code _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “The outfit and the way it looks has to be important for us! After all, the killer went through the trouble of removing the code from the door so we couldn’t find it.”

“Th...Then how did you find it, huh?” Rita asks.

“That’s...the wonder of being the Ultimate Luckster,” Rick says meekly. “Randomly punch in the code, get it right first try.”

“Anything else you want to say, Rita?” Patrick asks. “Or are you just going to keep deflecting?”

“I...I uh...wait, I think...I remember something!” Rita says. “Y-Yeah, that’s right, I did leave the greenhouse for a little while, remember? When Tyler came up to me in the lobby, wanting to go on a date...that was last night! The killer easily could have gone into the greenhouse then!”

“That would mean the killer isn’t Rita _or_ Tyler,” Jeremiah says. “Doesn’t that...complicate things?”

“Who cares about that?!” Rita demands. “I proved my innocence, so shut up and leave us alone!”

“But what about Tyler’s screwdriver?” I ask. “If no one was able to switch it out, then how did he get it?”

“I don’t know...but we can figure that out!” Tyler demands. “So...So...let’s figure it out! I want to talk about the screwdriver more!”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I know Rita and I aren’t the killer,” Tyler says. “ **Someone else** had to have switched my screwdriver out!”

“But no one was ever around you besides Rita,” Patrick retorts. “So either **you** did it or **Rita** did.”

“Do we even know **which one was used as a weapon**?” Jess asks. “Was it Tyler’s screwdriver...or a different one?”

“If no one could have switched around his screwdriver, that means **Tyler’s screwdriver must be the one used,** ” Harold says.

Tyler’s screwdriver...does that make sense as the murder weapon? Can that be the case..?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Workshop Screwdriver**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“It’s...wrong, is it?” Harold asks me.

“I don’t think Tyler’s screwdriver was the murder weapon at all. The weapon...it has to be the screwdriver missing from the workshop! If Tyler was distracted by being in the classroom since 6:45 pm, the killer couldn’t have taken his own screwdriver. But if it _was_ Tyler, what reason does he have to take that screwdriver but keep the bloody one on his person? Tyler can’t possibly be the killer, but the only person we know who had the opportunity to slip him the murder weapon...was Rita!”

“N-No!” Rita demands. “It’s...that’s not...I-I...I...”

“You’re being backed into a corner now, aren’t you?” Patrick asks. “Why don’t you give it up and make this easier on us?”

“Rita...you...you did this..?” Jess asks softly. “You used Giffany like that...just to...”

“Maybe we should get to the voting,” Jeremiah says. “She doesn’t even have a defense anymore.”

Rita’s eyes flicker between everyone, only being greeted by angry or disappointed faces. She shakes her head, putting her hand over her mouth. “No, please, you all...you all have to...listen to me. I’m not the killer...I...I’m not...”

“...that’s why you turned on Tyler so quickly, isn’t it?” Cassidy asks. “I thought it was strange you would try so hard to defend yourself, but give up on him...he was your scapegoat, wasn’t he? You’d frame Tyler, throw him under the bus, and we’d incorrectly vote for him. No one else would be able to frame him as well as you.”

Tyler looks from Cassidy to Rita. “That’s...That’s not true...right, Rita? You...You wouldn’t...”

“Ty...” Rita’s voice was defeated. She was crying now, shaking her head again. “Tyler, I...”

“...Rita...” Tyler looks back to the rest of us, his face filled with determination. “Rita would never do anything like that to me! I know her better than all of you! I won’t let you all talk about her like that! You hear me? No one gets to make Rita cry! I won’t let you! I believe in Rita, even if no one else does, and that’s all I need to know she isn’t the killer!”

“T...Tyler..?” Rita whimpers. “What...What are...you doing? I...”

Tyler looks back to Rita with a smile that only told lies. “It’s okay, Rita. I won’t let them talk to us like this anymore. It’s...It’s time I was strong for both of us. I know you’re scared, and I know that you’d never do anything to hurt me. I believe in you, Rita. They haven’t proven it was you, I know that. We can still change this trial.” He holds his hand out to her. “Together?”

Rita looks at Tyler’s hand in disbelief. She shakily reaches out to take it. Their hands meet and as soon as they do, her body stills and her nerves resolve. She smiles at him with a nod. “Together...”

Rita and Tyler’s attention turn to me, a fiery resolve now burning between them both. “We’re going to take you down together, Wayne!” they cry out in unison.

These two...even in the face of complete uncertainty, when nothing but distrust is between them, decide to work together instead. I know my answer is true. I know that Rita has to be the killer. I can’t let them stop me, even now! I’ll prove who the true killer is!

[PANIC TALK ACTION]

_“Nothing you say will ever matter! Not while I have Tyler by my side!”_

_“I know Rita isn’t the killer, and there’s no way you can change my mind!”_

“I can’t let your love stand in the way of all of our lives!”

“ _I can’t let Tyler be here all alone, I’d never do that to him!”_

_“Rita isn’t the killer, she just isn’t! You have to believe me, all of you!”_

“There’s still one piece of definite evidence that points to Rita! Something undeniable!”

_“Tyler is the man I love! I will never hurt him!”_

_“I’ll always believe in Rita, no matter what! None of you can stop that!”_

“I’ll prove to you, no matter what, who the true culprit is!”

**Wet Mask The Surgical**

**The Mask Surgical Wet**

**_The Wet Surgical Mask_ **

“THIS TRIAL ENDS HERE!”

Shock and terror strike Rita and Tyler as they hold onto each other with a deafening wail. “ ** _AAAAAIIIIIIIEEEEE!_ **”

**[BREAK!]**

“Rita...Tyler...there’s still something that proves Rita as the killer. Something only she would have, something I know is hers. A surgical mask, left with the science lab clothes. They were easy to mistake as part of the set...but the outfit came with a fume mask. That surgical mask was one I’ve seen before, and it only belongs to one person here. It’s Rita’s, used specifically for her pollen allergy.”

“Th...That...” Rita looks to Tyler. “Ty, he’s...th-there’s a mistake, I swear, I...I-I...”

“...Rita, you...can prove him wrong. Can’t you? You always keep the mask on you. Just...Just take it out. Show everyone you have it and we can prove Wayne wrong!”

Rita was silent for several long moments, her hand starting to shake in Tyler’s. She was fighting back tears, her eyes on the floor. “...I don’t...have it, Tyler...”

“...w...what..?” Disbelief filled his soft voice. “Rita, I don’t...understand. Why...don’t you..? You always keep it with you...”

Rita was silent once again, sniffling and sobbing as tears dripped to the floor at her feet.

“...I can explain it,” I say. “In fact, I’m going to explain everything, so that there’s no more doubt about this murder!”

[CLOSING ARGUMENT]

“This case actually begins the day before we found the body, with the reveal of who had picked who as their most important person. Giffany was utterly heartbroken to discover that no one had written her name down, including those she considered her friend. She must have rationalized it that no one cared about her, that no one would save her, that no one would miss her. And that’s...exactly what let the killer enact their plan.

“Seeing the way Giffany reacted, the killer wrote a note to her, inviting her to the science lab. It was even signed in my name, ensuring Giffany would come. The note was set for 7 o’clock , meaning she would have left her room while most of us were eating dinner or preparing to head to bed. In addition, this note had an indication of if this was for nighttime or daytime, meaning it would be harder to pinpoint when the killer’s actions took place. At the same time, the killer had written another note, this one intended for Tyler. It didn’t need to be signed, since he would recognize the killer’s handwriting. This note asked for a 6:45 time, meaning he would be out of the way for some time. It sent him to a classroom on the first floor. These rooms are rarely checked on by any of us, meaning it’s the perfect place to send someone if you want them to have an unreliable alibi.

“The killer didn’t meet with Tyler until much later. Instead, they had gone to meet Giffany in the science lab. They had a screwdriver that was stolen from the workshop to further incriminate Tyler. They had also dressed themselves up in the lab outfit found in the lockers there, as well as their own personal surgical mask. This was to ensure no blood would get on their actual clothes so they could walk around freely after the fact.

“When the killer confronted Giffany, she must have not resisted at all. Whether they were simply unprepared or taken off guard, when the killer struck, they missed the target of her neck and struck too low. They removed the screwdriver and had gotten blood on themselves in the process. In a panic, the killer decided to shove her into the locker and shut the door on her so she couldn’t run. They had no guarantee that Giffany would die by the time someone found her, so to ensure this, they took a canister of phosgene and set it so that gas would flood the locker. The gas would be able to enter the locker, allowing Giffany to inhale it. She would inevitably succumb to the gas, not even attempting to escape.

“The killer, meanwhile, had to act now. First, they wanted to try to wash the blood off of themselves, likely to ensure there was none on any exposed skin. They used the sprinkler system in the garden to do the best they could, since going downstairs would run the risk of being spotted. They had to set the system to manual and turn it on, but forgot to turn it off again after the fact. Next, the killer returned to the science lab, going to the chimney so they could turn it on and air out the gas. They used a fum gas that came from the locker as a way to protect themselves from the gas. However, there came a problem with shoving Giffany in the locker. They could no longer put the clothes or mask back there. They instead ditched the clothes they were wearing in the home ec room, putting it in one of the lockers. They had even scratched out the numbers on the pad so we couldn’t read them in an attempt to keep us from finding the clothes. Because with those clothes was the mask, identifiable enough that it had to be hidden without letting anyone have the chance to see it by going to their room with it.

“The killer was finally able to catch up with Tyler in the lobby and he officially orchestrated a date. They told him they were in the greenhouse, and said they would spend the night there to create an alibi. Tyler, however, had realized he was missing a gift he had for the killer, and ended up staying past the nighttime announcement in a fruitless search for it. Everyone went about the rest of the day, but the killer had one more part of their plan for that night. Instead of going to their own room or the garden, the killer went to Giffany’s room, as she had left the door unlocked. During the nighttime attendance, the killer knocked on the door as a way to make me think Giffany was present so they could further muddy the crime.

“Come the next morning, the killer and Tyler would go the garden for a date. Tyler would arrive later, however, having been trying to locate his gift for the killer. This would result in the killer only having enough time to replace his screwdriver with the one used for the murder and dump his in the shed before Jess and I had discovered the body that morning. And the one who had pulled all of this off was none other than...you! Rita O'Connor, the Ultimate Gardener!”

“Rita...” Tyler says weakly. “Please...I’m begging you to tell me he’s wrong. Tell me everything Wayne said is wrong, and you aren’t the killer. Please...”

“...I-I...” Rita looks up at Tyler, but the desperate gaze in his eyes only made her breakdown harder. She crumbles to the floor, sitting against her podium with her arms over her face. “I’m sorry...Tyler, I’m so sorry, but I had to! It...It was our only chance...to escape together...”

“You...You killed Giffany...” Jess says. There was a newfound rage seething in her voice, slowly bubbling its way to the surface. “She...She was vulnerable and...and you used that to kill her! In her moment of weakness, all you could do was use her!”

Rita’s sobbing got more intense as Jess finally snapped at her, curling in on herself as her body shook. But, even so, she managed to speak to us, her voice getting louder and louder. “She was the only one! The only one that...that I thought I could fight against! I didn’t think she’d just stand there! I didn’t...I didn’t know how bad it was for her! I...I didn’t know what to do! She saw me there...she knew I was going to...to...” Rita’s entire body shudders violently. “Oh, god...she just stood there...she didn’t scream or cry or _anything_ ! I couldn’t leave...she’d tell everyone! She just...She just let me... _fuck_...I-I’m so sorry...I...I had to...I could never have gotten this chance again..!”

“Mononuki...did this on purpose,” Rick says weakly. “He knew that there were people here who cared about each other more than anything. He knew that...that someone was going to kill for this. And...he used that...”

“Oh...did someone say my name..?” Mononuki asks, finally looking up. “Huh...it looks like you kids are uh... _yaaaawwwn_...mm...done, huh? In that case...we can get to the vote. So, who was the blackened? Who will you vote for..?”

[VOTE FOR THE KILLER]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Watanabe

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

... _ >Rita O'Connor _

“You got it correct again, everybody..! The killer of our very own Ultimate Visual Novelist, Giffany, is...also our very own Ultimate Gardener, Rita O'Connor!”

Tyler had gotten Rita back to her feet during the voting, but she pulled herself away from him once he did, wrapping her arms around herself with her back to him.

“I...I had to...” she says softly. “I didn’t...have a choice. For me and Tyler...he’s always been there for me. I love him more than anything in the world...that’s why...I had to do it. I had...to kill...someone...”

“But...But Giffany didn’t do shit to you,” Nancy grumbles. “She was just...this sweet li’l girl wantin’ to make friends...”

Rita’s body starts shaking. “I-I know that! You think I don’t know that?! You think I had some grudge against her or something?! She...She didn’t do anything wrong! She just...She was just the easiest person. When...When I saw her run away like that, I...figured it out. Because Tyler has the same anxiety problems as her...I knew it was because of that list. I knew...how she felt. And I knew she would be the easiest person to kill.”

Rita finally looks over her shoulder. “Ty...I...I want you to hear it straight from me. I framed you. I did it, just like they said. Because...Because you were the only person I knew well enough to frame.” She laughs a dry, painful laugh, wiping her face with the back of her hand. “I...turned our love into a weapon. I thought if I could get everyone to vote for you, then...then we’d get out of here. And I was going to make it up to you by taking us away to Paris for an entire year...just like we always talked about...”

“Rita...” Tyler had been silent for a while. “You...You didn’t have to do this...just for me. We could have gotten out of here together with the others...”

“...I’m sorry, Tyler...” She looks away again. “...I just...couldn’t believe that anymore. Seeing what happened between Perry and Harold, I...I knew that this place was going to rip us all apart. And then Mononuki gives us the perfect motive. Leave here with the person we love the most...I could never give that chance up, Tyler. Because I love you so much...I knew that I had to choose. Us, or them...and I’d choose us a thousand times over.”

Tyler wraps his arms around Rita from behind, burying his face into the back of her shoulder. “I know you would, Rita...I know...”

A new wave of tears began to wash down Rita’s face, but she smiles wistfully. “I’m sorry we can’t go to Paris like we wanted, Tyler...we’d been talking about it for so long...”

“Paris is overrated...” he mumbles in return. “I just wanted to go because you did...it didn’t matter to me. Paris, home, anywhere...I’d go anywhere as long as I can be there with you, Rita...”

“...don’t come with me this time...” she says softly. “Whatever you do...don’t follow me...”

Rita breaks away from Tyler and he doesn’t stop her, instead looking away and letting his tears spill over his face with his eyes squeezed shut.

Rita takes a deep breath and lets it out. “I’m ready for my punishment, Mononuki.”

“Oh, goodie...” Mononuki sits up, the button raising out of the floor in front of him. “In that case, I’ve got the perfect punishment for Rita O'Connor, the Ultimate Gardener, and Tyler Oak, the Ultimate Carpenter!”

“...h...huh?” Rita’s serenity was gone, instead overtaken by shock as she looks to Mononuki. “What...did you just say..?”

“R-Rita?” Tyler looks up again with worry.

“Let’s give it everything we’ve got..!” Mononuki raises the mallet with his tail.

“Wait, why did you say that?!” Rita demands. “You can’t--” She looks over at Tyler, their eyes meeting. “RUN!”

Tyler’s feet move on command. He grabs Rita’s hand tightly and begins to drag her towards the elevator, the sound of their rushing feet filling the trial room.

“Run!” I shouted without realizing it. “Tyler! Rita! Run for your lives!”

“Hurry up!” Rick shouts to them. “Get out of here!”

“Someone stop Mononuki!” Cassidy demands. “Don’t let him--”

“IT’S PUNISHMENT TIIIIIIME!” Mononuki slams the mallet down on the button. Rita and Tyler get to the elevator just in time for two chains to fly out and clamps down around their necks. They both look at each other one last time before their screams fill the room and they’re dragged away, out of sight until a video begins to play for us.

**Rita O'Connor and Tyler Oak have been found guilty.**

**Commencing the punishment...**

Rita and Tyler sat side by side on a swan boat heading down a small river. The swan was white and black with a jagged red eye and a half stretched grin on the beak. The two of them looked nervous, their eyes looking forward as they calmly moved along. They held hands tightly.

The river soon comes up to a small, dark tunnel. It was red and pink with dull lights around the entrance, which was shaped like a heart. The boat heads inside, the boat with the two inside engulfed by the darkness.

**Tunnel Vision of Love**

The tunnel was dark and dim, making it hard to see much anywhere. A soft whirring sound filled the space and slowly gets louder as the boat continued along. Swans cleanly cut in half were starting to appear, bobbing in the water or sitting on the pathways creating the waterway. The whirring gets louder and louder and they eventually hit another boat. There was a small cluster of them all being fed forward. By the time they could see the massive buzzsaw, they were up next.

Rita leaps out of the boat, never releasing Tyler’s hand, and dragging him along. Their boat hits the saw as they run off into a nearby door. Vines crawled out from the bottom, but neither paid any mind as they ran inside. The door shuts behind them with a click, leaving the two in a room with a massive plant sitting in the center. It looked like a pitcher plant but it had long vine-like tendrils that moved and wiggled about. They tried to slip past it silently, but there was no way to avoid brushing them, and they sprung to life as soon as it noticed they were in the room. And they went right for Rita.

Rita screams and throws up her arms quickly, looking away as they hone in on her. Tyler jumps in front of her and get wrapped up instead. He screams as he’s swiftly dumped into the pitcher plant, Rita watching in frozen horror. Mononuki leaps up from behind the plant with a massive pair of gardening shears. He instantly starts to wildly stab the huge plant. There’s muffled screaming from inside, the plant swaying back and forth with each stab, until it all goes silent, light green and red ooze seeping out of the many holes.

Rita had tears welling up in her eyes as she watched. Mononuki turns to her, the blades glistening in blood, both the plant’s and Tyler’s. She quickly runs off through the door Mononuki had come from, terror and tears blinding her to the many caution signs around it. She ran until something caused her to trip and fall to her hands and knees, weeping intensely and wiping her eyes. There had to be an escape somewhere she could find. She looks around and sees she’s surrounded by steel girders and concrete tubes. Something loud bangs above her.

She looks up in time to see wet cement come splashing down. She only got out half a scream before it hits her, solidifying almost instantly and leaving a statue of herself in a terrified scream. Mononuki comes rushing in with a hard hat, wielding a sledgehammer. He brings it up and slams it down onto Rita, shattering her into millions of pieces in an instant, leaving only dust and gravel in her wake.

**RITA O'CONNOR AND TYLER OAK HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED!**

That...That was somehow worse than anything we’ve been forced to see until now. Tyler...Rita...why did that...happen to them..?

“ _KKYYYYAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ ” Jess’s shrill scream cut through the air for a second time today once the execution had finally come to it’s close.

“O...Oh my god...” Rick says weakly. “ _Oh my god!_ ”

Sasha was shaking her head in disbelief, her entire body shaking as she covered her face with her sketchbook.

“That was...cruel...” Patrick spits.

“...Mononuki...you broke the rules,” Cassidy says.

“Eh..? What do you mean..?” the tanuki asks. He taps his chin with his paw a couple times. “Mm...pretty sure I didn’t...”

“Tyler wasn’t blackened. He wasn’t meant to be punished. You broke your own rules, Mononuki.”

“Oh...that...mm, no, I still didn’t. The motive changed the rules, remember?”

“The motive didn’t say you get to just kill another fucking person!” Nancy bellows with rage. “You’re a fucking liar!”

“...yes...it did, though,” Harold says. “Mononuki warned us about that when he explained the motive. The rules applied to you and your partner, so if you were punished...so were they. That’s how the chance of escaping with someone existed. It’s in the rules that an incorrect vote means the blackened can leave.”

“So...because of the motive, Tyler wasn’t allowed to leave with Rita if she won. Tyler was a blackened _with_ Rita for the same crime, and they would both escape if she won,” Jeremiah explains.

“That about sums it up...” Mononuki says. “It’s a good thing you guys voted for Rita. Even though Tyler was also the blackened on technicality, he didn’t actually commit the crime, so...I wouldn’t have accepted any votes in his name as correct. But because of the rules, he was just as eligible for punishment in this case as Rita.”

“That’s...That’s not fair...” I say weakly. “You knew this would happen! Rita...she would have never murdered if you had said this could happen!”

“Oh...well...” Mononuki yawns again and gently scratches his ear. “...guess she shoulda asked me to clarify. It’s kinda sad, actually...but that just makes it a lot better, too. Guess it’s a good thing she didn’t ask.”

“You’re a _monster!_ ” Jess seeths. “You...You give them back! Giffany, Tyler, Rita...give them all back! Right now!”

“...forget it,” Patrick says. “You’re just giving him what he wants. He laid this out a while ago, didn’t he? He’s only in this to watch us crumble. If you keep giving him the reactions he wants, he’s just going to win.”

“That’s easy for you to say,” Nancy says. “You didn’t give a shit about them to begin with!”

Patrick shakes his head and starts walking to the elevator. “Forget it. Giffany was right last time, for what her words were worth. At this rate...you’re all going to die here.”

Patrick takes the elevator up alone. There was silence in the group again as we take it up next. Despair lingered in the air around us. Nobody had been prepared for what happened to Tyler. Not even he was ready for it. It just...wasn’t fair. He died just because he loved someone. He died for finding someone important. Why did this game have to be so unfair to us?

The elevator stops at the first floor and lets us all off. Everyone begins walking off into their own rooms, not wanting to do much else. I stop Jess before she could enter hers, catching her gaze.

“...Jess...” I wanted to say something to her, but I wasn’t sure what.

“...I shouldn’t have yelled at Rita like that, right?” she asks me. “She was...carrying all that guilt for her. And what she did, for Tyler...I...I know the thought crossed my mind, too. Ever since the last trial, all I wanted to do was get Harold out of here safely...”

“And it’s okay to have those thoughts,” I assure her. “What matters if you don’t act on them. We need to stay strong and stay together to get out of this.”

“I know...” She opens her door and begins entering her room.

“...it’s not your fault, Jess. What happened with Giffany...it’s no one’s fault but Mononuki’s.”

“...I...I know...” she repeats. But the hesitation in her voice was clear to me. The door shuts and I make my way to my room now, not bothering anyone else.

Sleep would be restless for me that night as all I could think about was the cruel fate three more people had to suffer through. I couldn’t let this happen again...even if I knew it would.

**Chapter 3: Love is the Secret Ingredient to your Demise~! - END!**

**Remaining Students : 9/16**

****


	28. Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies - Daily Life Part I

**Chapter 4: Built on a Bed Of Lies [Daily Life - START!]**

I don’t know if I woke up early or late that next day, but I know it wasn’t to the sound of the morning announcement. I was exhausted, but the moment I opened my eyes, I knew the last thing I wanted to do was lay in bed with silence and my thoughts.

I swing my legs over the side of my bed and get up, stretching out with a soft groan. Even my body didn’t feel like being awake right now. The cafeteria won’t be opened if it’s early, though. If I can’t get in, then a morning workout should do me some good.

I get dressed and grab my saber from its place. I head for the door, but as soon as I open it and try to step out of the room, something from the other slide slams it right back into me.

I grunt, stumbling away and putting a hand to my now sore nose. Another shove on the door forces it to close with a slam. I quickly check to make sure I wasn’t bleeding. I wasn’t, so I charge at the door, ramming it with my shoulder as I open it. There’s no resistance at all from the other side.

I wasn’t expecting no resistance, so I didn’t have the time to stop myself before I was spilling onto the floor stomach first. It only takes seconds to get back to my feet, but by then, I can see that the hallway was empty. No sign of the culprit.

I almost wanted to begin banging on doors to try and find out whoever it was that did that, but I knew it would be pointless. All I’d end up doing is waking people up and freaking them out. After what we had to witness yesterday, that’s the last thing I needed to be doing to anyone.

My shoulders slump and a sigh escapes me. My short adrenaline rush was ending and I was back to feeling tired. I trudge my way out of the hall. Seeing that the cafeteria doors were shut tight from the lobby, I could only guess that there was no way in there right now. So, instead, I make my way to the gymnasium. Some exercise would get me to wake up, hopefully.

I started with basic stretches for now. I didn’t need to do anything extraneous at the moment, just enough to get the blood flowing. It wasn’t ten minutes later, however, that the door opened up and a familiar face greeted me.

“Ah, Cassidy, what are you doing awake?” I ask.

Cassidy was looking down at her notepad, but her attention soon snapped up to me. Her brows furrow and her lips were pursed. She looks back down at her notepad, flipping rapidly through the pages. She finally stopped on one and her expression relaxed to her normal calm look. She looks back up to me. “I’m just doing my morning rounds, Wayne. Just to make sure there’s nothing out of place to be worried about.”

“Guess you’re not so used to seeing anyone during those rounds, huh?”

“Not particularly. Any reason you’re awake so early? The morning announcement won’t play for another hour or so.”

“I just...woke up early. Wasn’t sleeping well after what happened in the trial. I knew I wasn’t going to get much more sleep, so I decided I’d get some exercise in this morning.”

“Right...I’ll be going then, in that case."

“Ah, wait! I have something I need to tell you.” I quickly make my way over to her so we could talk in a more hushed tone. “I wasn’t the only one awake this morning.”

“...who else?”

“I...I didn’t get to see their face. I was trying to leave my room, and they slammed my door right into me. By the time I got out of my room, they were already gone. I didn’t want to freak everyone out by knocking on every door to find out who it was.”

Cassidy had flipped to a page in her notepad and begun writing in it as I spoke. “You didn’t see anything, though? No identifying features, any patterns you might recognize in how they behaved?”

“Other than a bump on my nose, nothing.”

Cassidy had a thoughtful look on her face as she went over her notes. “...could it have any relation to the person that broke into my room the other night?”

“Ah--” I hadn’t even considered that. But, who else would want to stop me from seeing them but a person snooping around? “It...could be.”

“I’ll keep an eye out in that case. If they’re striking early in the morning, they could also be up late at night. I’ll see what I can find.”

“That sounds really dangerous, Cassidy. I can help you with it, if you want.”

“I can take care of myself, Wayne. I won’t need your assistance.”

“Cass, we agreed to trust and help each other. If you’re going to stay up and watch after the others, I want to do the same thing. You shouldn’t have to do it alone.”

Cassidy sighs and closes her eyes. “You’re so annoying, Wayne...”

“I’m sorry.” I said it instinctually. Really, Cassidy caught me off guard with that. I don’t think I’ve ever heard her actually tell someone how she feels about them before. “I’m just worried about you, that’s all. You’re working yourself to the bone for everyone. I want to help, too, you know that.”

Cassidy shakes her head gently and opens her eyes again, her arms crossed over her chest. “I’ve made my decision. I’ll handle it. Please respect that.”

I frown a little bit. “Alright, sorry...it’s just, after the last stakeout...”

“...the last stakeout?”

“Yeah, when Joshua stole all the cures for the poison, remember?”

“...right, well, just meet me during the nighttime announcement.” Cassidy turns away from me, back to looking at her notepad. “I’ll see you at breakfast, Wayne.”

“Ah...right, see you then.” Cassidy walks off and I return to my workout, but now my mind was on other things. Every time I felt like I was making some kind of progress with Cassidy, she’d try to shut me out again the next time I saw her. Was I doing something wrong? Or was there something she wasn’t telling me? And...there was something weird about what she just said. I can’t place my finger on it...

I spent the rest of the morning doing my usual training until an announcement played. But it wasn’t our usual announcement.

“Um...excuse me, everyone.” The screens had an uncharacteristically worried Mononuki on them. His paws tap together gently as he speaks. “It’s now 7 am...um...but I’m afraid I’m quite busy today! I’ve already unlocked the fourth floor and cafeteria for you...mm...I’ll see you all tomorrow.” And then the screens shut off.

That was...odd. Was something wrong with Mononuki? It’s not like I was particularly worried about him, but it could end up becoming a problem for the rest of us, too.

I head out of the gym, going to my room with the intention to shower off before breakfast. I didn’t see anyone on the way there just yet, but as I was leaving my room again, I saw people were up and about now.

“Rick, Sasha, good morning,” I say to the two of them. Rick noticed me first, obviously, and tapped Sasha’s shoulder so she would see me, too.

Sasha offers a halfhearted wave and a tired smile in my direction. Rick didn’t even give that much, just a little nod and a mumbled greeting I could barely hear.

“...you’re both still thinking about yesterday, aren’t you?” I ask them.

Rick rubs his arm and looks away. “It’s...hard not to, y’know? It’s...just really heavy. I still feel sick thinking about the whole thing.”

Sasha took notice of Rick’s expression and gently rubs his back. He lets out a shaky sigh and squeezes his arm.

“Hey, I know, but we’re going to be--”

“Okay?” Rick finishes for me, looking at me with a gloomy expression. “You can’t just keep _saying_ that, Wayne. Are we actually going to be okay? Or is that just what you’re telling us so we don’t snap and go at each other’s throats? Because everyone says we’ll be alright and then...and then someone else dies and we have another trial.”

“Hey, Rick, of course we’re going to be alright!” I tried to assure him, but even I wasn’t believing myself as I said it. “...look, something has to be happening in our favor, right? It seems like Mononuki’s got something on his hands today. Maybe it’s because people are trying to rescue us.”

Rick frowns, looking away as he rubs the back of his neck. “I dunno...what if he’s planning a really big motive..?”

Sasha gently smacks Rick on the shoulder with her sketchbook. He flinched, but I don’t think she actually hit him hard enough to hurt him. She looked frustrated, her cheeks puffed out and a message scrawled onto the sketchbook.

‘ _I know that look on your face. You’re thinking about only bad things again, aren’t you?_ ’

Rick read over Sasha’s message then looks away again. He fiddled with his hood, stuck somewhere between pulling it up and leaving it down. He seemed flustered, or maybe embarrassed.

“...do you do that often?” I ask. “Get stuck thinking negatively?”

“...it’s not that easy trying to stay positive when you’re a walking Murphy’s Law at any given moment...” Rick mutters. “...sorry, I know you were just trying to help. I’ll just go back to my room.” Rick walks past me. Sasha looks worried and follows after him.

I let out a soft sigh watching the two of them go. Jeremiah comes out of his room, looking at Sasha now knocking frantically at Rick’s door. He looks at me with a thin frown. “What’d you say to Rick?”

“Huh? I-I didn’t say anything!” I demand. “Er...well, I was just trying to reassure him, that’s all. He took it badly, though, and then he felt bad for talking back to me.”

Jeremiah sighs softly and rubs the bridge of his nose. “Too early in the morning...I know you’re just trying to keep everyone going with positivity and optimism, but Rick’s really not the kind of guy to be using that on. It just makes things worse for him, if anything.”

“Why is that..?”

Jeremiah looks back to the door. Sasha was still trying to get Rick to come out of his room again. Jeremiah moves closer to me and speaks in a softer voice. “Rick’s the kinda guy who prefers a realist approach, at least, that’s what he’ll say. But he’s a complete pessimist. He’s always trying to think about the negative, so positive reaffirmation doesn’t work so well on him. If you want my honest opinion, though? I think Rick just has bad coping mechanisms for his depression.”

“What? He has depression? Where’d you hear that?”

“Nowhere. But I’ve spent the better part of the last two weeks or so with him, and he’s more of a...heart on his sleeve kind of person. I’m no professional, of course, but from what I do know about clinical depression, I’d guess he has it. So when it comes to all that optimism you’re drowning in, it clashes with his pessimism. I think he struggles with accepting that kind of stuff, so he just gets more negative about it.”

With the way Jeremiah was talking about this, I’d almost guess he was talking about a character in one of his books and not one of his closest friends. It makes it hard to tell how seriously to take what he’s saying. “Well...I’ll try to be a bit more careful when talking to him, then. Is he gonna be alright?”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine. Sasha and I will get him to the cafeteria soon, so you don’t have to worry. If we just left him alone, he wouldn’t leave his room anyway. Just let Cassidy know we’ll be a little late for her attendance.”

“Yeah, I can do that, Jeremiah. Tell Rick I said sorry for me.”

I wave to the author as we go our separate ways, with me finally heading into the cafeteria. While those three were all busy, the rest of us were in the cafeteria now. And...god, the room felt so empty.

Patrick, Jess, and Harold were all sitting together at the moment. Jess clearly wasn’t herself, quietly eating with her head down. She didn’t ever smile in my direction like she normally would when she saw me in the morning. I could see Harold was worried about her. Patrick seemed...indifferent, but the two of them clearly had some kind of connection, so I’m sure he was worried in his own way.

Nancy and Cassidy both sat on their own, but rather close. Only a single chair separating them. I get myself some toast and fruit from the kitchen and take a seat between the two girls.

“Hey, Cass, I ran into Rick, Sasha, and Jeremiah out in the hall,” I say to her as I eat my toast. “They’re gonna be a bit late, Rick...uh...got a bit held up.”

“That’s fine,” Cassidy says plainly. I could see her marking something off in her notepad before closing it. There was a bit of a lingering awkwardness between us.

A few moments of silence pass in the room. “...so, like, this sucks, right?” Nancy asks.

“What are you going on about?” Patrick asks in return, resting his chin on his hand.

“I said what I’m going on about! This fucking sucks, and I feel like I’m the only one that wants to say it!” Nancy demands. “Why are we all just sitting here, doin’ nothin’?! We should be trying to get out of here!”

“If we try to get out of here, Mononuki is just going to kill us,” Harold says. “Assuming there even _is_ a way out of this place. Every window is either reinforced or too high up to make escape feasible, and the front door is locked.”

“He can’t kill us if we just gang up on him! What’s he gonna do, huh? End his stupid little game slaughtering all of us? No way! We just gotta team up and beat the crap out of him! We still have the numbers for it, y’know!”

Maybe I should try to talk Nancy down before she ends up doing something rash. “Nancy, I get that you’re upset, but you remember what Mononuki did when you grabbed him the first day here, right? There could be traps like this all over the place!”

“...look, no offense, Wayne. You’re a great guy and all...but shut the fuck up, will you? You were the one trying to make us all buddy-buddy the first coupl’a days here, and look where that got us! I’m sick of sittin’ around and just _waiting_.”

Okay, that didn’t work. I look to the others desperately, hoping one of them will help me out with this.

“...she’s right,” Jess says softly. “I’m tired of waiting, too. I want to act.”

Well, there goes my help. “Jess, not you, too...”

“I’m sorry, but I’m with Nancy on this one. After what happened that last trial, all I could think was...why didn’t we do anything? We all just sat there and watched, completely helpless, as Mononuki _murdered_ Tyler and Rita. We did the same thing when it happened to Perry and when it happened to Franny. We did nothing when Giffany was upset and vulnerable. We did nothing when Joshua took all of the cures from the rest of. I’m tired of doing _nothing_.” Jess stands up from her seat, looking at Nancy. “You want to act, right? Well, so do I, so you’ll have my full support!”

Nancy grins wide, getting up as well. “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!”

“...if you two want to act, you should go scout around the fourth floor,” Cassidy says. “Mononuki could have something useful up there, such as a weapon, or something incriminating.”

“I heard weapon, I’m totally on it!” Nancy flexes her right arm, patting it roughly with her left. “C’mon, Jessie, let’s go find somethin’ for you to beat the crap out of the tanuki with!”

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” Jess declares. The two girls head out of the room.

“Cassidy, why did you do that?!” I ask. “What if they get hurt?!”

“I already did a small investigation on the fourth floor, there’s nothing serious up there they can use,” she assures. “I just said that so they would go look around up there.”

“I am going to follow them,” Harold says. “I need to make sure that brute fails to cause any harm to come to Jessica.” The prodigy gets up from his seat, also making his leave.

“Well, I’ll take the hint and go make myself useful.” Patrick gets up as well with that, following out after Harold.

“What are we going to do when they don’t find any weapons up there?” I ask Cassidy. “There’s still everything on the third floor, one of them is bound to remember that...”

“I’ll think of something while we look around. Come, I didn’t do a thorough investigation, so I still want to take a closer look around up there.”

“...with me, right?”

“That’s why I’m asking you to come along, isn’t it?”

Cassidy makes her way out of the room, not waiting for an answer. I made sure to keep up with her, hanging back a little. There it was again. One second, Cassidy doesn’t seem to trust me at all. The next, I’m at her side to help. I wish I could get a better read on her. I had no idea what was going on in her head.

Making our way up to the fourth floor, we see that it was a hallway that broke off to go left and right at the end, forming a T shape. This hallway seemed the most professional and pristine. It was well cleaned, several portraits hanging on the walls of old men I didn’t really recognize. A bust was sitting at the intersection of the hallway. Potted plants decorate either side of the bust and portraits. There were two doors on either side of the first section of the hallway. One was labeled as the Security Room and the other was a Teacher’s Lounge.

“Hey, there’s the security room! Maybe someone’s inside!” I say.

“Wayne, there--” I didn’t let her finish, running over to the door to pull it open.

_Rattle, rattle..._

“...ah, it’s locked?”

“That’s what I was going to tell you, Wayne. The door won’t budge at all. Even with the floor available, it seems like we aren’t meant to be in this room.”

That...That wasn’t fair though. Why can’t we go in here? “Then I’ll just break the door down!”

“Wayne, I don’t know if you should do that.”

“It’s not against the school rules though, right? This isn’t mindless destruction of school property, after all.”

“...well...” Cassidy still looks unsure, but she had stopped voicing her complaints. However, before I could try to break into the room, something buzzed in our pockets. We pull out our handbooks to see we had a notification under the school rules. Something had been added to it.

  1. Students are allowed to explore the school with limited restrictions. Forced entry of said restricted areas is not allowed.



“Well, so much for that plan...” I sigh and put my handbook away again. Why couldn’t we go into the security room? What could possibly be back there that was so important..? Maybe it was like his hideout. He made this rule almost as soon as I made my plan, so he has to be watching at the moment, right?

“We can enter this room,” Cassidy says, gesturing for me to follow her into the teacher’s lounge. I give the security room a final glance before trailing after her into the open room.

The teacher’s lounge was set up with a few desks for teachers to sit at, although they all seemed to be empty as of now. There was also a couch and a line of cabinets to store food and basic cooking supplies such as a coffee machine and toaster. A mini fridge sat at the very end of the cabinets. There was a large whiteboard in the room with a few sticky notes stuck to it, but they all seemed to be related to things important to the teachers that presumably worked here.

Jess, Nancy, and Harold were all currently in the room. Nancy and Jess were going through the cabinets while Harold watched at a relatively safe distance. They were pretty serious about all of this, huh..?

I walk over to the two girls. “Uh...so, how’s your search going?”

Jess stands up from the cabinet she was looking through and I could see that it was empty. There probably wasn’t much up here to begin with. “Not so good,” the babysitter admits. “It doesn’t help that the security room is locked right now.”

“I’m tellin’ ya, we should just break the damn door down!” Nancy demands.

I shake my head and pull out my handbook. “No can do, I already thought of that and now there’s a new rule saying we can’t.”

“Who gives a damn about the rules?! They’re the whole reason we aren’t doin’ anythin’! I’m tellin’ ya, we just gotta get together as a team and take the little rat on! We’ll win for sure with the nine of us!”

“Or we can all die together,” Cassidy responds.

“The fuck did you just say to me?”

“I said we’d all die if we did that. I’m not against trying to stand up to Mononuki, but your plan of action is messy and drastic. If we went through with it, with no ideas or coordination beyond attacking him, he’d easily wipe us all out.”

“How do you even know that?! For all we know, it’s just a bluff and he ain’t got anything he can use to kill us outsid’a those stupid trials!”

“If you’re so confident in that, then go attack him. Now.”

“...huh? But didn’t you just say--”

“Go attack Mononuki. Drag every single person along who is willing to listen.” Cassidy begins walking forward as she talks, slowly closing off the space between her and Nancy. “You have Jessica on your side. I’m sure Sasha and Rick will listen. Perhaps even Patrick. Take them all and go fight our captor. Do whatever you want. But just know, that every death that follows will be entirely your fault.” She stops in front of Nancy. The boxer was trying to mask it, but there was a certain intimidation to her eyes. “If you’re willing to try to fight back with nothing but brute force, you need to be ready to accept every death as a result is entirely your fault.”

Nancy was staring down Cassidy, but the calm and fierce gaze of the girl was making the boxer crack. Nancy looks away with a huff and a miserable scowl. “You got any other ideas..?”

Cassidy’s eyes finally move away from Nancy and I could see her whole body relax. “I’m still working on it, but so long as you don’t drag everyone you can into a suicide mission, I should have something rudimentary prepared within in the next few days.”

“Great.” Nancy spoke through gritted teeth as Cassidy makes her way back over to me. I was shocked. I knew Cassidy could be a bit scary, but I didn’t know she was that intimidating.

I head over to Harold next, who still seemed mildly frustrated by the entire thing. “I cannot believe you just let that brute walk off with Jessica. Thankfully, this room was first and I convinced the two of them to give it a thorough search.”

“You and Jess have really been getting along, huh?”

Harold scoffs and closes his eyes. “Only because she did nothing but pester me since the second trial. She hardly gave me a choice in the matter...”

I had a hard time believing that to be the case, but I don’t think Harold would open up about it more if I tried to push him to do so.

“...” Harold’s brows furrow. “She...reminds me of Perseus, I suppose. There is just...something about her. She is always worried about me and fussing no matter what I do. I hardly feel a moment’s peace with her always over my shoulder, but...”

“...but you know it’s because she cares about you, right?”

Harold’s eyes open, half-lidded and focused on his feet. “I am not the most...physically adept. So I am entrusting you with a request. Make sure that nothing happens to Jessica. Promise me that you will protect her.”

“I’m doing my best to protect everyone, Harold. You and her included.”

“That would be why you take such charge in the trials, am I correct? To protect the rest of us from the punishment. I never...did apologize for what I did. I suppose I owe you one...”

“I don’t agree with what you did, Harold, but...if it was me and my own sister in that situation...I don’t know if we’d have done anything differently. But you’re still alive, and you have Jess and me, just like Perry wanted.”

“I know...”

Harold was quiet now, so I decide to leave him be and make my way back over to Cassidy. “The room seems pretty empty, huh?”

‘It would appear that way. Let’s go to the next room, shall we?”

I nod in agreement and the two of us step out of the teacher’s lounge, making our way to the end of the hall. The hallway split off to the left and right. We decide to take the path to the right, which leads to a room labeled as the Janitorial Office.

Despite being called an office, the room was pretty...drab. Uncolored concrete walls and floor, a fluorescent light buzzing above head. A metal shelf was filled with different cleaning supplies--chemicals of all kinds, from air freshener to bleach as well as tools from scrub brushes to giant push brooms. There was a steel desk in the room with a lamp on it, allowing a person to sit down and work with something. Most likely, it was a space for basic repairs and construction given the way the desk was scuffed and scratched. The entire room was one of the least spectacular to be seen in the entire building so far. The room was big, but there was a lot of empty space.

Patrick was the only person in the room at the moment, busy looking through the drawers on the desk with the usual disinterest on his face.

“See anything interesting in there?” I ask him as I approach.

“Notepads. Rags. Pest killing supplies...you right now.”

So...that was a no then.

“...is there a reason you’re always so...standoffish, Patrick?”

“Why does that matter? It’s not like I’m the only one, anyway. Cassidy and Harold are hardly any better with people.”

“Yeah, but...you pick a lot of fights with the others. And you’re not...nice.”

Patrick sighs and kicks the final drawer of the desk closed. “I didn’t come here for a morality lecture, Wayne. I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to survive. You don’t get both.” he walks over to me, jabbing a finger into my chest as he looms over. “You better hurry up and choose one yourself.”

“Wait...what about you and Jess? You’re nice to her, at least. Aren’t you two friends?”

Patrick bares his teeth at me with a scowl. “She clings to me when she cries because she’s weak and pathetic and I wait for her to stop. That’s it.”

I frown, silent, as I watch Patrick stride out of the room. What’s his problem? He only ever seems to be trying to antagonize people, like it’s on purpose or something.

I make my way over to Cassidy again. “Guess there’s not much to see in here...”

“I suppose not,” she agrees in a monotone.

“...hey, you’re worried about Patrick, too, right? And what the others might think about him?”

“I’m worried about Patrick's volatility and the way he treats the others due to how it could have them react. If he continues to stress them out and cause strife, there could be a problem. That, and I simply don’t trust him.”

Cassidy has a point. I guess we were worried about him for different reasons. He’s wandered off for now, at least. I hope it’s not to bother anyone.

The two of us make our way out of the room and head to the other side of the hall, which leads to the Secretary’s Office.

The office was set up with one long desk that curved in the corner, fitted for one person to sit at in a rolling computer chair. A computer sat on the desk, along with some notebook pages and various writing utensils. There was a phone on the desk, too, but someone snipped the cord to it. There were four chairs sat at the other side of the room, under what might have been a window before it was covered, and four on either side of the door. A door in the back of the room lead to the Headmaster’s Office.

Rick, Sasha, and Jeremiah were all in the room at the moment. I was glad to see they had gotten Rick out of his room. He had his hood up right now, so I couldn’t really see his face.

I was already thinking about what Jeremiah said, about Rick potentially having depression. I guess he would know better than me, but still, I couldn’t say for sure. Either way, it’s really not any of my business. If Rick wanted to talk about it, he will. I won’t be accomplishing anything by questioning him over it.

Jeremiah was currently sat at the computer, brows furrowed as he tapped at the keys with rapid fingers. Sasha was sat down with a silent Rick on the other side of the room.

I walk over to Rick and Sasha. “Hey...everything okay over here?”

Rick perks up a bit at my voice, letting me catch a glimpse at his eyes from under the hood before his head dipped back down. “...I’m sorry about snapping at you this morning, Wayne. I know you were just trying to help...”

“Ah...you don’t have to worry, Rick. I’m not upset. I know...I know this is hard. For everyone. But I can promise you that I’m doing everything I can to help us all.”

“I know. You’re trying harder than I am...I’m sorry...”

This didn’t feel like it was going anywhere. But Sasha was looking at me with pleading eyes. I think she wanted me to say more.

“That’s not true, Rick. You’re doing what you can in your own way. You’ve been by Sasha and Jeremiah’s sides for almost all of this, and they’re still here, right? You even helped me out with the investigation yesterday. If you hadn’t gotten that locker open for me, I don’t know if I could have proven Rita as guilty.”

“...you...you mean that?” Rick looks up a little bit again, letting me meet his eyes in the shadow of his hood.

I smile softly. “Yeah. Everyone is doing what they can. Even after everything that’s happened, we’re going to keep going strong.”

“Uh...” Rick’s slouched posture improves as he sits up, pulling back his hood. “...thanks, Wayne. Sorry if I worried you.”

“You don’t need to be sorry. It’s alright to be upset right now...I think we all are, still.”

Rick nods softly, looking down at his lap with a soft frown. Sasha holds up her notebook for me to see, the words _Thank you!_ scrawled onto it. I give her a nod and a smile and leave the two of them alone again.

I make my way over to Jeremiah. His tapping has gotten more furious before he finally smacks his hands down on the table and pushes himself away. “Agh, dammit!”

“Woah! Jeremy, is...everything okay?”

“The damn computer doesn’t work. Every time I try to use it, it brings up some error screen stopping me from getting to the desktop.”

“Ah...can’t say I’m much help there. I always take my laptop in to a repair store if it stops working...maybe Harold would know what to do? I’m sure he’s got some kind of computer skills.”

“Do I have to go ask him? I prefer not talking to him if I can help it. And before you say it, I know, I know, Perseus. But talking to the kid gives me such a headache sometimes. You know, he sat me down to have a conversation about my latest book--and I am always excited for that. But he has the absolute gall to try to critique my writing prose! As if he knows the first thing about tone and voice! Agh, but he’s still the most well read person here. I tried to talk to Giffany about literature and she wanted to discuss some stupid manga she had with her, as if I have the time to care about some...some ridiculous picture book for kids! And then there was the time Joshua tried to pretend as if he ever read any of my books--couldn’t even give me a single plot synopsis! Or one character analysis! It was insanity! Oh, but that does not _TOP_ Perseus using a book I had recommended to him for _paper mache!_ ”

Jeremiah has...really been holding this one in, hasn’t he? I felt like if I stood here, he’d just keep going on forever. I start backing away and he didn’t even seem to notice. I’ll just...tell Harold myself later on.

I walk over to Cassidy, who is currently peering through the glass of the headmaster’s office door. Past the words printed on the glass, we could see what looked like a very regal office—almost something I’d expect from the White House, or some CEO of a big business. A large, polished desk. Artwork that looked expensive and plants in decorative pots. A big bookshelf filled with old books and important-looking knick-knacks. A rug covered a large portion of the marble floor. Windows used to be behind the desk, but were now covered. A nameplate, presumably with the Headmaster’s name, sat on the desk along with a personal computer, a framed picture facing away from us, and some writing equipment.

“Is there a reason you aren’t going inside?” I ask.

“Locked,” Cassidy responds stiffly.

“What?! This room, too?!”

“Whatever it is in these rooms, it’s certainly important to Mononuki. Which means we need to find a way to get in without breaking the rules.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have any lock picking equipment in your notebook, would you?” I say, half-joking.

“I’m afraid not,” she replies in her usual monotone.

...it was...a bit hard to tell, but did Cassidy just play along with a joke?

“It seems like this is all the new floor has to offer,” she goes on. “Not much to see.”

There really wasn’t. Two locked rooms out of the five we had. How was that fair to any of us? If there’s a way to crack open these doors, though, I’m sure Cassidy had an idea already forming.

“I’ll see you tonight for attendance, then.” Cassidy closes her notepad. “Right?”

I nod and salute. “Sure thing, Cass. I’ll see you then.”

She didn’t say anything, but I swear her gaze softened before she looked away from me and left the room. Without much to do besides wait, I decide to leave as well and spend some time checking up on the others.

[FREE TIME - START!]

For once, it was someone else who walked in to find me. I had gone to the library only to notice Sasha walking in. As soon as she spots me, a grin crosses her face and she heads over to me.

Sasha writes something down and holds up her notebook. “ _Glad I found you, Wayne! I wanted to get you caught up on ASL. Rick and Jeremiah are waaaay ahead of you!_ ”

I smile sheepishly. “Yeah, I bet they are, with how often you two hang out. Oh, but I’ve made sure to keep up with practicing the alphabet! I think I have most of it down now.” I definitely still have those sketches folded up and in my pocket, though.

“ _Good, then we’re moving on to simple phrases!_ ” Sasha grabs my arm and drags me over to a table, having the two of us sit down across from each other. I spend some time learning more ASL with Sasha. The two of us grew a little closer today.

Sasha had shown me some more phrases, such as ‘yes’, ‘no’, and ‘hello’ and drawn the examples for me. If we keep going at this rate, I’d probably have an entire ASL book on hand when we’re done.

“I really hope this isn’t getting exhausting for you,” I say. “Having to keep teaching people the same thing just so they can talk with you better must be...tedious.”

“ _Everyone has to learn somehow, and if I can be the one to help them learn, then I’m more than happy to keep this up!_ ”

I smile softly. I thought she’d say something like that. “Do you ever draw comics about your experiences, Sasha? I bet other deaf people would love to see them.”

“ _A lot of my comics are based on my own experiences and life, yeah! I’ve learned I’m a super popular creator in the deaf community. I’m happy so many people can relate to me like that. It makes me feel less alone!_ ”

“...you feel alone?” I can’t say I’m too surprised by that idea. It sounds like Sasha doesn’t know many other fully deaf people in her daily life and has to be a teacher for nearly everyone around her.

Sasha smiles sheepishly as she holds up her sketchbook again. “ _I guess the cat’s out of the bag. Sometimes it can be tough having to be the one to teach everyone around me about deafness, I guess. I still run into people who try to speak slower when I tell them I’m deaf because they think it’ll help me hear them_.”

“Well...do you have to be a teacher for everyone?”

“ _Huh?_ ”

“Ah, I mean...you don’t need to teach every person yourself, do you? I’m sure there are places you could direct them to learn stuff too, instead of having to say all the same stuff.”

Sasha’s lips purse and her brows furrow as she thinks. “ _But what if they don’t want to do the work themselves? Then it’ll be pointless._ ”

“If they don’t want to do the work themselves, they didn’t want to learn in the first place.”

Sasha’s lips just get thinner. I could tell she was trying to think of a rebuttal to what I said. I get up from my seat. “How about this? I’ll lead by example. I’m going to go find a book that’ll help me learn ASL, and next time we talk, we can try to have a conversation in only ASL.”

Sasha’s frustrated look shifts to one of wonder. She scribbles quickly this time. “ _That’d be really great, Wayne! In that case, I won’t bug you at all! I want to see what you can learn on your own! It’ll be a lot of fun!_ ”

With a big grin on her face, Sasha heads out of the library. I smile softly and go find what I would need. There were a few books, so I take them all to my room. Even if I had to have the books with me when we talked, I was going to show her that I could learn this on my own!

When I entered the teacher’s lounge, I had no issue spotting Jeremiah sitting at one of the desks, carefully going through its contents on the search of anything useful.

“I would have expected to see Cass going through the tables here,” I joke as I walk over. I lean against the desk next to Jeremiah.

“She’s not the only one allowed to investigate,” he replies blandly.

Ah, I hope he didn’t take offense to that or something. “Ah, I didn't mean it like that, I was just trying to joke a little. Sorry...”

“It’s fine. Chances are, she’s already combed through here and taken anything of use. It makes it harder for the rest of us if she’s trying to keep the information for herself...”

Maybe I should try to talk to Cass about that. Either way, can’t do much to help Jeremiah there without making her upset in the process. “I’m sure she’ll come around. If you want, though, I can help you snoop?”

“Yeah, sure.” He waves a hand towards another of the desks. “I haven’t looked over there yet, so you can check it out if you want to.”

“Sure thing! I’ll tell you if I find anything.” I head over to the desk he pointed out. I spend some time snooping around with Jeremiah. The two of us grew a little closer today.

Our search turns up pretty empty and I could tell Jeremiah was just getting frustrated about it. Maybe I should take his mind off of things. “You’ve been hanging out with Rick and Sasha a lot, huh? You three must be really good friends.”

Jeremiah smirks, a smug aura beginning to surround him. Uh oh. “Of course, those two understand me fairly well, after all. And I understand them. I’m great at reading people, after all.”

“...is that so?” It’s not that I didn’t believe him...well, okay, I didn’t really believe him. He just seemed a bit too...uh...self centered?

“What, don’t believe me? I can even prove it to you right now! For instance...you’re definitely the protagonist.”

“...the...protagonist?”

“Exactly! You take charge in the trials, you’re making friends with everyone here, and you’re an easy to talk to and friendly guy. You stand out just enough, but it’s not so overwhelming that it’ll turn people away, either. The quirks you do have are endearing.”

Are we still...talking about real life? I feel like he’s talking about a character in one of his books instead of...well, me. A real human being.

“You definitely seem like the type to survive,” Jeremiah goes on. “The protagonist dying suddenly is good shock value and can impact characters in amazing ways, but a lot of people who try to do it end up stumbling along the rest of their narrative afterward.”

“...you...know this isn’t just a story, right?” I ask.

“Of course I know that! What do you take me for? I’m just saying, that’s how I see you! I told you, I’m good at reading people.”

I think he just gave me a character analysis about myself. I guess I shouldn’t be too offended, it just feels weird to be talked about so...intangibly. Maybe this is just how he makes characters for his stories.

“If it bothers you that much, then I can just leave,” he says, getting up from his seat.

“Ah, Jeremiah, you don’t—”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll go. There’s nothing here anyway.” He waves a hand dismissively as he marches out of the room. I know I shouldn’t be feeling bad about it, but I couldn’t help myself.

I had gone into the garden and spotted Jess in there. From the looks of it, she was taking care of some of the flowers here. She had put on some gloves and was using a bright yellow sun hat that went with her dress.

“I didn’t know you were much of a gardener,” I say as I walk over.

Jess looks up at me from her knees in front of the flower bed. “Oh, I know some of the basics! I’m glad there’s no way weeds can get in here, at least. Pulling them up is always such a hassle.”

“I can’t say I’m much of a gardener, but maybe I can help you out there? If you want, that is.”

“Oh! I think that’d be fun, I usually do this all on my own back at home! I can show you what I normally do.”

Jess pulls me down to the flowerbed next to her. I spend some time learning basic garden care with Jess. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“So is gardening a hobby of yours?” I ask as we use a hose to water the plants.

“Oh, no, not really,” Jess admits. “We have this big flower bed in the backyard that I take care of for my mom. Every Sunday, it gets watered, and every Friday, I prune!”

“Oh, well...what about baking then? I saw you doing that before. That a hobby of yours?”

She shakes her head. “Not really. Sometimes I make cookies as treats for the kids, or cakes for birthdays, but I don’t really do it as a hobby.”

I think about it for a few more seconds. “...Alright, I give up. What _do_ you do as a hobby?”

“Ah—” Jess looks away, her face flushing. “I don’t really have many hobbies. I’m so swamped with the kids and chores at home, I’ve never had much time for them.”

“You still have to do a bunch of chores? I’d figure you’d get a brake with how busy the babysitting job sounds.”

“O-oh, it’s not like that!” Jess assures me quickly. “I actually don’t mind doing the chores so much. Stuff like that is really calming and distracting for me, you know? Repetitive motions and long tasks eat up my time like nothing else, and I like it that way.”

I’ve definitely never heard a teenager admit that they enjoy doing chores, but...I guess I can believe it with Jess. Her babysitting job just sounds like nothing _but_ chores, so you’d probably have to like it to some extent to handle it so happily.

“Is that why you’ve been doing so many chores? The stocking, the cooking, the gardening...you’re trying to keep yourself calm and distracted, right?”

“A-Am I really that transparent..?” Jess asks sheepishly. She looks away from me, a frown forming on her face. Her hand moves absentmindedly along her arm. “...I...I guess I’m just not strong enough still...”

“Hm? Jess, are you—”

“No, I’m not,” she says abruptly. “I’m sorry, I think...I think I’m going to head to my room now. We can talk later, okay, Wayne?” Jess gets up and makes her way out of the room at a brisk pace.

Did I...say something wrong? I feel like every time we talk, I start treading over this invisible line and doing something that pushes her away. She seems to want space, though, so I’m just going to respect that.

It was getting late. I still had my exercise tonight with the girls, then attendance. I guess I’ve really set up a routine for myself, haven’t I?

I make my way to the cafeteria for now. I think what I needed to do was eat a big dinner so I’d have the energy to do both tonight. Luckily, it seems like someone made a big pot of pasta tonight, so I was able to sit down and begin scarfing down a huge bowl of it.

“Wayne, you’re making a huge mess!” Jess huffs.

“Mmf?” I look up at her from across the table, noodles hanging out of my mouth and sauce covering my face. 

“Oh, c’mon, he’s just carb-loading!” Nancy says. “Not a bad idea, either.” she scoops up a heap of pasta on her fork and shovels it into her mouth.

“Eyuck, do all you athletes eat like animals?” Harold says. He pushes his own bowl away. “I’ve lost my appetite.”

“Ah...what’s carb-loading..?” Rick asks. “I thought I heard that too many carbs are bad for you or something...”

I slurp up the last of my pasta in my mouth. “It’s something you do before big games or competitions. You eat a ton of carbs for a few days so you have a ton of reserved energy. I’ve done it once or twice, but I just end up all bloated and it makes me slower in my matches.”

“‘Aff’s ‘ause ‘ou’re ‘oing iff wron’!” Nancy says through her own mouthful.

“...I’ve lost my appetite, too,” Patrick says. He pushes his bowl away as well, although it seemed like it was already empty.

‘ _Who made this anyway?’_ Sasha writes down. ‘ _Was it Jess?_ ’

“Oh, no, I already found it in the kitchen,” the babysitter says. “I thought you, Rick, and Jeremiah did it...”

“We haven’t tried making food since the pancake fiasco,” Jeremiah says. “Rick won’t let us.”

“Sorry...” Rick says meekly.

Nancy finally finishes scarfing down her bowl. She got messier than I did. “Well, wasn’t me! I can barely boil water.”

“I didn’t do it, either,” I say. “Can’t imagine Patrick did...”

The table was quiet now. We’d run out of possible suspects. So then who..?

“Wait...Cass, did you make this?” I ask.

“I felt like having pasta tonight,” Cassidy says from her usual spot at the head of the table. “There were a few boxes. I decided it wasn’t that difficult to cook, so I made sure there was enough for the group.”

“Oh, I see, this is a distraction!” Nancy says. “You’re tryin’ t’ make sure I forgot all about what happened this mornin’. I’m still lookin’ for ways to take down that stupid rat, y’know!”

“Nancy, we talked about this...” Cassidy warns.

“Talked about what?” Rick asks. “Do...Do you guys have a plan for stopping Mononuki..?!”

“Hell yeah!” the boxer says with a big grin. “We’re gonna beat that sucker into the ground and walk outta hear with our heads held high!”

“...and that’s it?” Jeremiah asks after a short pause.

“What, you got a better idea?! It’s just a dumb toy!”

“A dumb toy with spears embedding in the walls and all the exits sealed.”

“Well, I ain’t surprised that the book nerd over here wants to pussy out! You’re still on my side with this one, right, Jessie?”

“...um...well...” Jess looks away from Nancy. “Cassidy brought up a lot of good points this morning...”

“What?! Ricky, Sash, what about you two? You in?”

“...um...I-I can’t,” Rick says. “Hemophiliac...even if he just cuts me, I could bleed out. I’d um...just get in the way...”

‘ _I’m sorry, but I’m a pacifist,_ ’ Sasha had scribbled.

“God, you’re all a bunch of whiny babies!” Nancy snaps. “How the hell are we supposed to do anything about this if you all just sit on your asses and complain?! He’s a stupid toy, that’s it! He can’t stop us if we gang up on him! I need you guys on my side for this! I know we can do it!”

But no one was on her side. We all avoided her eyes and didn’t respond to her at all.

“...alright, fine.” Nancy gets up from her seat, smacking her bowl away so that it and the fork clattered onto the floor. “Don’t need you fuckin’ assholes anyway. I’m goin’ to my room to get my attack ready _on my own_. Don’t bug me.” She stomps off.

“She’s definitely going to die,” Patrick says casually.

“You...You shouldn’t say that...” Rick says softly.

“Isn’t that why you all refused to side with her? Because you knew you’d end up being killed by Mononuki?”

“Well...”

“You all need to stop acting like you’re so much better than you are.” Patrick lets out a sigh and leans back into his chair. “You all know that’s the only end for her if she goes through with this. That’s why none of you wanted to join her. You can’t act like I’ve done something wrong by just saying what you were already thinking.”

“...do you really believe in that?” Jess asks softly.

“Hm?” Patrick glances at her from across the table.

“You have all this talk about how bad everyone is, and that we’re not better than you. But I haven’t seen anyone say they are. You can’t just talk about people so callously and then hide behind a shield of apathy!”

“Jessica, you—”

“But I don’t think that’s it. You’re just as worried about her as the rest of us, aren’t you?”

Patrick blinks, his features slack. He shifts his jaw a little bit, clearly debating on what to say. “I’ll bite. Where’d you get that idea from?”

“Why else would you just say something like that? If you were such a bad person that didn’t care about us, you’d be spending a lot more time in your room. But you come to breakfast and dinner, you sit with us and eat and talk. You finished eating your food before Nancy ever said anything and you’re still here. And now you’re making sure we’re all thinking about her. It’s so we’ll make sure she’s okay, isn’t it?”

Patrick’s quiet. Normally he has something snarky to say, but he’s just quiet now. Is it because Jess was right, or was he just too shocked she’d think something like that to even speak?

Jess gets up from her seat, her eyes shining. “I’m right, aren’t I? You’re pretending not to care, but you care just as much as the rest of us!”

“Uh...no, Jessica, I don’t really—what are you doing?” Jess had gone over to Patrick while he was talking and seized his hand. He was pretty unceremoniously pulled out of his chair, dragged along behind her.

“We’re going to go check on Nancy and make sure she doesn’t get herself hurt!”

“But I don’t want to.”

Patrick’s demands fell on deaf ears. He cast a glance at the rest of us before the doors closed behind him and the two of them were gone.

“You’d think Jess would be the Ultimate Gymnast with all the mental gymnastics she just performed for us,” Jeremiah comments.

Sasha gently taps him on the back of the head with her notebook. ‘ _I saw that! That wasn’t nice!_ ’ was written on the page.

Dinner finished up rather quietly. Cassidy was busy cleaning the dishes she had used to make the pasta, so I made sure to clean my bowl quickly before heading to the dorm halls.

I could see Patrick and Jess were talking to Nancy, the boxer leaning on the frame of her door. She seemed a little agitated, though.

“C’mon, I know I have a great idea...” Nancy whines.

“No, you really don’t,” Patrick retorts with a sigh. He looked even more bored than usual.

“Hey, Wayne!” Nancy calls to me. “You gotta agree to this one, alright? I was thinking we set up a trap and make the stupid rat run into it! How’s that sound, huh?”

“Uh...sounds like he’d see it coming,” I say. “With the cameras and all.”

Nancy was quiet for a few seconds before letting out a long groan. “Then I’m goin’ back to my original plan!”

“...hey, Nancy, can Patrick and Harold come to the exercising tonight?” Jess asks with a thoughtful look. “I think the two of them have been wanting to. You’d be a great coach for them!”

“What?” Patrick deadpans.

Nancy grins wide. “Weeeell...I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get some meat on a coupl’a string beans like that! C’mere, jackass.” Nancy wraps an arm around Patrick’s neck. He tried to push her away, a bit of distress flickering across his face, but he was stuck. “I’ll meetcha there!” Nancy says as she drags Patrick away.

“I hope he’ll forgive me later,” Jess says. “I just needed to distract Nancy somehow.”

“I think you’ll have to worry about Harold not forgiving you. You just roped him into exercise with Nancy.”

“Ah, well...exercise is good for kids! And Harold seems to spend so much time inside studying. I was gonna have him join us tonight, anyway.”

“Well, good luck with that. I’ll meet you guys at the gym.” I offer Jess a short wave and head there. I hope this would be able to take Nancy’s mind off of her plans. Or at least give us enough time to figure out a way to get her to change her mind...which, knowing her, was not going to come easily.

I get to the gym to find Nancy had already released Patrick from her grip. His glower was strong right now. I don’t imagine this was going to be a regular thing for him.

Jess came in soon after with an equally as angered Harold in tow. “I cannot _believe_ —!” he begins.

“It’s just for tonight, I promise!” Jess quickly replies. “Besides, you need the exercise, it’s healthy for boys your age!”

“There’s the shortstack!” Nancy says with a massive grin. I think Harold’s glare became more intense than Patrick’s.

I had to help set up a regime for tonight, if only because Nancy was going to end up pushing the two guys way too far. Basic stretches, some light jogging, and some focus on the core. It was pretty easy for Nancy and I. Jess and Patrick also handled it well. It was Harold that wasn’t as...ah...accustomed to it.

“Haa...haa...” He was practically doubled over, hands on his knees. “How do you...do that...every night?!”

“Eh? We do a lot more than that!” Nancy demands. “Wayne was the one that made me go easy on you.”

“This was going easy?! My chest feels like it’s going to explode!”

“Alright, alright, I gotcha, Pipsqueak.” Nancy walks over to Harold and lifts him right off the ground. “We just gotta work on your posture!”

“Put me down, you sweaty oaf!” He was starting to wiggle and squirm in her grasp now.

“There’s that second wind!” Nancy cheers.

I heard a small huff from Patrick. Was that a smile gracing his lips? Did he just _laugh_?

Jess managed to wrangle Harold out of Nancy’s grip and he immediately hid behind her. “We are not doing this again!” he hisses to the babysitter.

With the bedtime announcement ready to play at any minute and the new members seemingly done, we decide to break for the night. I hadn’t worked up much of a sweat tonight, so I just had a rinse in the shower. By the time I was joining Cassidy in the hallway, the nighttime announcement was already playing.

“Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...” There’s a pause. Mononuki’s tail flickers. “...we’re gonna have to have a talk tomorrow. Meet in the entrance hall as soon as you wake up.”

The screen flickers off. Usually, when it came to motives, he’d just announce them the day of. Why the forewarning..?

Cassidy and I begin our usual nightly attendance. It was a lot shorter than it used to be. I almost knocked on Giffany’s door...

I join Cassidy again. “Everyone answered. Ah, except Patrick, like usual.”

“Mm.” Cassidy quickly writes some things down. 

“...are you sure you’re going to be alright, Cassidy? You’re not giving yourself any more time to sleep.”

“I’ll find the time,” she says. “Just get some rest.”

I still didn’t feel comfortable with this. I didn’t want to disrespect Cassidy or anything, but this was dangerous. “Look...if anything happens, come to my room. I’ll leave my door unlocked.”

Cassidy sighs gently. “Fine. Have a good night, Wayne.”

I nod and head to my bedroom, shutting the door behind myself. I know Cassidy only had our best interests in mind, but this was just...more than she should have to do alone. I wonder why she was so insistent to do this on her own, too...

I sigh softly and get into bed, my door left unlocked in case Cassidy had to come in for any reason. There wasn’t much I could do about this, so I let myself drift off to sleep.


	29. Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies - Daily Life Part II

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. And make sure you meet me in the entrance hall...”

I sit up in my bed with a yawn. Ugh, that’s right, Mononuki wanted us to come in for an announcement. Or maybe a motive..? I look at my door. Still shut, still unlocked. I get up and make my way over to peek outside. No sign of Cassidy. Did she go back to her room..?

I quickly get myself ready for the day and venture out into the hall, seeing a few of the others were leaving their rooms as well. Sasha seemed to be talking excitedly to Rick and Jeremiah about something. I still wasn’t very good at ASL, though, so whatever hand gestures the three were making was lost on me.

I could see Jess was getting Harold up at the moment, too. Still no sign of Cassidy. Well...it would make sense for her to already be at the entrance hall, right? She wakes up early and the room isn’t exactly locked. I shouldn’t worry so much, she can take care of herself.

I make my way to the entrance hall. Sure enough, Cassidy was already there, standing at attention. It didn’t take too long for the rest of us to file into the room. Mononuki came waddling in soon after.

“Okay, so, um...” The tanuki gently taps his paws together. Was he...nervous? “...I know you have it. So it’s best if you just...admit to it, right now.”

There’s silence from the rest of us. How exactly were we supposed to respond to something like that?

“If you give it back to me then...I promise to forgive you. And I won’t have to do anything...er...rash.”

“Are you...going to tell us what exactly this is about?”Jeremiah finally asks.

“No.”

“What’s the point of this?” Patrick asks. “If you’re not going to tell us what you’re even going on about, why summon us here?”

“I just want it back, but you won’t listen to me. So I thought I’d uh...do it this way. Um...so, you know...just give it back.”

“Is Patrick the ‘you’?” Cassidy asks.

“It’s whoever took it.”

This conversation really wasn’t getting anywhere. Mononuki had to have a reason to summon us here like this. Was it really just to make a vague request none of us even understand?

“This is ridiculous,” Harold says, exasperated. “I’m going back to my room.”

“Mm...no, you’re not,” Mononuki says. “No one’s going anywhere until I have it back.”

“You can’t keep us in here!” Nancy demands.

“Yes, I can.”

Her face was turning red. I’d almost think I saw steam pouring out of Nancy’s ears. “No, you CAN’T! I’m fuckin’ leavin’!” Nancy turns on her heels and stomps down the door, slamming it open with her shoulder...and then she stops in her tracks.

“...what...the fuck..?”

Everyone looks over, managing to look past Nancy’s massive frame to see the Gatling gun pointed at her. The gun’s barrels were large, each one containing a pointed spear inside.

“No one’s leaving this room without _my permission_!” Mononuki says. We look back over to him. His jagged eye was shining a deep red, a completely crazed look on his normally droopy face. “Gatling Harpoon Harbinger, activate!”

The gun whirls to life, the barrel rotating as it prepares to fire. I moved without even thinking about it, my shoulder striking Nancy in the small of her back and shoving up. She lets out a cry as I knock her forward and off her feet. The two of us tumble to the ground with a crash. I could hear the others screaming behind us as the gun fires, massive thunks ringing out as the spears fly out and strike. After a minute, the noise finally stopped as the gun used up its ammo.

I was almost too scared to look. The idea that everyone was dead, pinned to the walls with spears sticking out of them made my gut knot. But I dared to look and...

Jess was on the ground, her body protectively covering Harold. Cassidy had shoved Patrick down, now on top of him on the floor. Sasha and Jeremiah were huddled close, curled up on the floor. Rick was against the back most wall, spears stuck to his clothes, but otherwise left unharmed. And with me and Nancy on the floor under the gun...everyone was okay.

I let out a deep breath I didn’t realize I was holding in. My hands were shaking as I pull myself to my feet. My knees were shaking, too, and they almost gave out. Sure enough, the gun was out of its ammo, the barrel slowing to a stop. It was coming from the ceiling, it seems, and disappeared once it had finished cooling down.

“J...Jesus...” Patrick gasps. Even he seemed frazzled by the entire experience.

Jess looks up slowly, her whole body shaking. I could see Harold was clutching onto her tightly now. “Y-You almost killed us..!” she shrieks in a shrill voice.

“Mm...almost,” Mononuki agrees. “And if I don’t get it back...uh...it might not be an almost anymore.”

“So you’re threatening our lives now,” Cassidy says, getting back to her feet. She was trying to remain calm, but I could see her hands were shaking as she folded them over her chest.

A choked sob came from Rick. “M-My hand...” Stuck to the wall, I had almost not noticed, but now I could see the blood dripping down Rick’s palm. His hand must have been sliced on one of the spears.

Sasha and Jeremiah were quickly to start prying the spears out of Rick’s clothes to get him off of the wall. “He needs to get to the nurse’s office, immediately!” Jeremiah demands. “He’s going to bleed out if we can’t do something about his hand!”

Mononuki puts a paw to his chin. “But I said--”

“I don’t give a _damn_ what you said! Rick didn’t break any of your rules, so if he dies, then you’re the one that unjustly killed him!”

Mononuki’s sleepy expression took back over. “...then I guess I’ll have to let you treat his wound. Mm... _yaaawn_...I guess I couldn’t get it back this way...maybe something else will work..? I’ll sleep on it...you’re all free to go for now...”

Sasha and Jeremiah finally got Rick totally free and were quick to drag the crying luckster out of the room and to the nurse’s office.

Mononuki waddles away with another sleepy yawn. That...That expression just now. Is that...what the tanuki is really like? Insanity, cruelty, rage...all boiled down into one spine-chilling glare. Is that really what lies behind that sleepy gaze..?

I think I was still in shock because I was unable to move my feet. My body was heavy and I felt glued to the floor. Nancy almost died. I almost died. We _all_ almost died.

Cassidy moved briskly over to me. For a moment, I thought she was going to drag me away to talk, but she walked right past me. Without a second of hesitation, she struck Nancy across the face with the back of her hand.

“If you _ever_ do something that irresponsible again, I _will_ make sure you won’t be able to endanger the rest of us. You are going to shut up, sit down, and do what that _thing_ asks us to avoid another attempted execution. _Do I make myself clear?_ ”

The intensity radiating off of Cassidy was stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before. Her voice was harsh and, despite being at a speaking level, carried itself with power and authority. Her steely, cold gaze was burning into Nancy.

“...I...I uh...” Nancy looked completely dazed, left only at a complete loss of words. “...y...yeah.” She looks away, her massive form shrinking back.

Cassidy walks past Nancy, not even gracing her response. Patrick was able to take Jess and Harold out of the room, though not able to pry them apart. I glanced at Nancy a final time, but I couldn’t meet her eyes. No words were coming to me, so I simply trudged along, one heavy step at a time.

I found myself back in my room. I wasn’t sure how long I was there, but it must have been for most of the morning because I was getting hungry when it felt like everything was finally...settling.

In that moment, if I hadn’t moved, Nancy would have died. The spears would have ripped her apart and killed her in an instant. Who knows how many would have gotten past her, striking down the rest of us. Who knows how many would be dead if I hadn’t knocked Nancy down and gave everyone the time to react...

When I finally left my room again, I still felt a bit dazed. Rick was hurt, but other than that, everyone was...well, we weren’t okay, but we were unharmed. Maybe I should check in on a few people. See how they’re doing.

[FREE TIME - START!]

I manage to find Cassidy combing through the teacher lounge’s desks. I can’t imagine there was anything too interesting to be found in there, but she was hard at work at it nonetheless.

“Hello, Wayne,” Cassidy says blandly without looking up at me.

“Ah, how’d you know it was me?”

“Practice. Your footsteps, while clearly from sneakers, aren’t as loud as the others. Patrick, for instance, carries his weight more heavily when he walks. Jess is lighter on her feet, but her steps aren’t as calculated as yours tend to be.”

She...really notices something like that? She has always been really perceptive, but even I don’t notice small details like that.

“Well...do you mind if I help you out there?”

“If you want. I haven’t searched those desks.” She points to the ones directly across from the side she was working on.

“Alright, I’m on it, Cassidy!”

I spend some time searching through desks with Cassidy. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“So, Cass, I was wondering about something...”

“And what would that be, Wayne?” Cassidy looks up at me, leaning against the last of the desks.

“Do you have any hobbies? Or something you’re interested in?”

“...Wayne, are you trying to guess what my talent is?”

“Ah, no, i-it’s not anything like that! You said before you didn’t want to tell anyone...”

“I thought as much. You don’t seem the type to use underhanded means of interrogation.” Cassidy remarks. That was a certain...softness to her voice. Was that a compliment?

“Ah, thanks...but if you don’t want to answer it--”

“No, it’s fine. I suppose I can talk about something...” Cassidy flips through her notebook for a moment in silence. “I suppose...I do enjoy cooking. I’m often the one making dinner at home.”

“Really? I wouldn’t have taken you as the type.”

“People are full of surprises, Wayne. My mother and father are hard workers with late hours, so I was often left to make food for myself.”

“...but isn’t your dad retired? You said he was a novelist now.”

Cassidy pauses for a moment. A frown crosses her face. “Did I...say that?”

“Yeah, last time we talked like this. Your mom’s an office worker and your dad is retired and writes novels now...ah, your dad...hasn’t been retired for long, has he?”

“...no, only the last few years...” Cassidy admits. She looked troubled now, her eyes no longer looking at me. Did I bring up something she didn’t want me to..?

“Ah...you don’t want to talk about it, though, do you..?”

“...I want to ask you something now, Wayne.” Cassidy looks at me again and this time, her eyes were boring into me with a cold glare. “Are you doing this on purpose?”

I blink, surprised. Was I doing something? “...doing...what on purpose?”

“This...act. Innocent and oblivious to the things you say, yet prying deeper all the same. Worming your way in with compliments and smiles and...damn it. I can’t believe I let it blind me like this. You...”

“Cassidy, I...I really have no idea what you’re talking about!” I assure. “You’re talking about an act but I’m not acting any differently than I usually do. At least, I don’t think so...”

“Then...why? Why does it feel so easy to open up to you..? Why do I want to keep offering information when you ask?”

“...maybe because we’re friends? I like talking to you, too, Cassidy. You’re easy to talk to. Sometimes I think I end up talking too much, honestly.”

Cassidy’s glare softens. “...friends...I see.” She flips open her notepad to write in it. “Wayne?”

“Yes?”

“...I apologize for my outburst. That was...unnecessary. We can talk again later, okay? I’d like to be on my own to think.”

“Oh, yeah, of course, Cass!” I didn’t need another hint. I make my way out of the room. Cassidy got pretty heated there for a moment, but it seems like I was able to quell her just as fast. She must not be used to opening up to people like that. I’m glad she was at least willing to listen to me about it!

Patrick was in the cafeteria when I made my way in. He was sitting at the table, a piece of toast hanging out of his mouth as he toiled over some cloth that he was hand sewing. The tables in the cafeteria were certainly bigger than those desks in our room, so I could understand why he’d work out here.

“Got a project you’ve been working on?” I ask, taking a seat across from him.

Patrick looks up at me and his expression dries up immediately. There had been a spark of passion in his eyes before, but now it was just that usual gaze of discontent. He removes the toast from his mouth. “Is that really any of your business? And I didn’t say you could sit there.”

“...can I sit here?”

Patrick sighs and puts a hand to his temple. “God...if you have to.”

I’ll take that as a yes. “So, this costume you’re working on...”

“No.”

“...no?”

“You don’t get to sit there and be useless. Do you know how to sew?”

“Uh...”

“You will now. Grab a needle and thread it.”

I spend some time being taught how to sew by Patrick. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“Ow...” I whimper, sticking my finger in my mouth. That’s the fourth time I’ve pricked myself...

“You better not have gotten any blood on my cloth. I’ll make you pay me for new material.”

He didn’t even own any of this. “...so, uh, while I’m taking a break recovering...can we talk about last time we were together?”

“Are you reconsidering your payment?”

“Uh...no. Actually, I wanted to ask you why you treated me that way.”

“I wanted money for my work, you didn’t want to give it to me. Is there something wrong with acting like that given the circumstances?”

“You’re leaving out the part where you never told me I’d have to pay for it and made it seem like it was a gift...”

“You should have known--”

“You should have told me,” I demand. I wasn’t going to let him get a leg up in this and make me out to be the bad guy. “That’s the kind of thing you tell someone up front, Patrick. And I wouldn’t be as angry if you had just treated me with some respect.”

“...is that...what this is about? The way I spoke to you about it?”

“...yeah? I mean, you still should have said something before, but talking to me like that still wasn’t okay.”

“And why wasn’t it okay?”

“...huh? Because you got rude and you left before we could even finish talking about it. I want to think the whole thing was a misunderstanding, but...”

“But?”

“...it kind of feels like you did that on purpose.”

Patrick looks down at his fabric, carefully sewing it together along the seams. “...okay. Say I did it on purpose. Is there any reason I would do that?”

Well...uh...hm. Why would he do something like that? I definitely got frustrated from the whole thing, which I don’t get often...huh. “Were you...trying to see what I’d do if you got me frustrated?”

“You seem like the type to take charge. In the trials, you are always shouting out your ideas and taking on anyone that responds. And your arguments always win. So, what would happen if you were faced with an argument you couldn’t win? Not because you were wrong in any way, but because someone was too stubborn to relent.”

“So you were just messing with me, then. To...see what I would do if I couldn’t win an argument.”

“I prefer the term experimenting, but...sure. When push comes to shove, you caved, though. I was expecting more aggression. Your reaction was surprising.”

“Well, I was upset, but it’s not like it was a big deal. I wasn’t going to make you finish the costume if that’s not what you wanted to do.”

“But why? I was unreasonable and changed the deal for no reason. You should have gotten angrier and more demanding, tried to fight back on me about it.”

“...why?”

“What?” Patrick looks up from his work, his hands pausing.

“Why _should_ I have acted that way? It’s not like I needed the cosplay, and...you were unreasonable, but if you were expecting money, then I didn’t want to do something like demand a free product. That seems wrong.”

Patrick’s mouth twitches a little. “...I see. I think that’s all I wanted to talk about today and you need to do something about those fingers. So, if you don’t mind...”

I take the hint and get up. “Right...well, I’ll talk to you later, Patrick.”

Using me as an ‘experiment’ to see how I’d react to getting mad isn’t exactly my idea of a good time, but despite the way he acts, he must have some kind of interest in people to go to lengths like that.

When I entered the secretary’s office, I found Harold was seated at the computer, tapping away at the keyboard. I guess Jeremiah got around to asking him to check on it after all.

“How’s it going? You able to hack into it or something?”

“That...is not how this works,” Harold says. He stops his typing and sighs. “There’s a lock on the computer. Without the right password, I’m not getting anywhere.”

“Why don’t we ask Rick to guess the password?”

“Please, as if he could do it. His luck is merely coincidence and placebo effect.”

“Ah, so you don’t believe in it..?”

“I’m not superstitious.” Harold adjusts his glasses, almost looking insulted.

“Right...well, mind if I chill out here with you while you work on that?”

“I suppose...” Harold returns his attention to the computer. I spend some time watching the screen over Harold’s shoulder. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“So, you’re in the same grade as the rest of us, huh, Harold?”

“Yes, that would be how I’m a part of the same class as the rest of you...”

Well, I knew that. “It must have been hard. You’re only twelve, so you had to skip a few grades...”

“It wasn’t as difficult as you make it out to be. Besides, as an Ultimate student, aren’t feats like that to be expected? You know...for the academically gifted, at least.”

I get the feeling that was meant to be a jab at me. “I meant socially. If you’ve been going to grade levels so much higher than your age, it’s probably hard to make friends.”

“I never tried to make friends.”

“...huh?”

Harold looks back at me. “I do not have the time to be wasting on social endeavors, either with a peer group of my age or my grade level. I have studying to do and I need to be working to enter college as early as possible.”

“Is that...healthy for you? Kids your age should at least try to have some company and get outside more.”

Harold’s brows stitch together. “Now, I will have you know, I am perfectly healthy! Just because I am not a mindless buffoon like you and the ragtag group of athletes you associate with does not mean I am!”

It almost feels like we’re having two completely different conversations right now. Maybe that was just more proof of my point, though. “Uh...I mean, health is more than just physical wellbeing. What about socially? Mentally? No friends, always working, that has to be exhausting for you...”

“Wayne, I can take care of _myself_ , thank you very much.” He turns away from me again. “If you want to fret about me that badly, go...find Jessica and do it with her.” He waves a hand dismissively at the door. Sounds like my cue to leave.

I make my way out of the room with a sigh. As genius as he might be, I think Harold suffers from social ineptitude. I guess he doesn’t seem to mind it. At least, he doesn’t act like he does...

I made my way to dinner like usual. The room was...pretty quiet though. Cassidy, Harold, Jess, and Patrick were the only ones present.

Jess was at my side almost as soon as I had entered the room. “Hey, Wayne, do you mind helping me out again?”

“Again?”

“Yeah, when I had you go check on the others during our first few days here? I...I was hoping you’d help me again.”

“Oh, yeah, of course! I...don’t have much of an appetite anyway.”

Jess sighs gently. “No one seems to...I’ll come with, okay? I can go see Nancy. I think Sasha and Jeremiah are with Rick. Can you check in on them?”

I nod. “Of course. C’mon.” I leave the cafeteria with Jess. We break off in the dorm hallway, with me going to Rick’s room and Jess to Nancy's. I knock on the door. “Hello? It’s Wayne! I came by to check on you all.”

Sasha opens Rick’s door and smiles when she sees me, immediately grabbing my arm to tug me in. Rick’s room seemed pretty plain. Even more so than my own was, in fact. The owner of the room was sitting on his bed, arms wrapped around his legs and his hood obscuring his face. Jeremiah was seated at the desk, reading a book in silence.

“Thank you for getting the door,” Jeremiah says, not looking up from his book. He probably could have just gotten it himself...

I look at Rick. I could see his hand was wrapped up with gauze. He hasn’t even looked at me.

I glance at Sasha and gesture my head to Rick, silently trying to see if she could explain things to me. I think she caught on, because she began writing.

‘ _Rick’s really scared after what happened in the lobby. Something about his luck, I think. He wasn’t making a lot of sense. Jeremiah says he hasn’t been talking for a while, though._ ’

His luck..? I have a general understanding of it, and I’ve definitely heard about lucky students. The way Rick ended up when we were shot at definitely looks like something the Ultimate Luckster would end up going through.

I walk over to Rick’s bed and gently sit down on the edge of it. “Hey, Rick, are you...” Asking if he’s okay was a really dumb idea. “...I mean, how are you feeling?”

Rick peeks up from his arms, letting me catch a glimpse of his eyes. I felt a chill zap down my spine. What was..?

“...” Rick buries his face away again. “...we almost died today. All of us.”

“...yeah, I know. I think we’re all still...rattled.”

“It’s my fault, isn’t it..?” Rick’s voice sounded more strained. “Because I was there...we were almost killed. Because of my luck, we--”

“We survived it.”

“...h-huh?” Rick peeks up at me again. I didn’t shiver that time. Maybe it’s just drafty in here. “But...But I--”

“You could almost say it was lucky we got out of that so unscathed, huh? I know you still got hurt, but you had Jeremy and Sasha here to help you, didn’t you?”

“But it wouldn’t have even _happened_ if--”

“Yeah, but Nancy feels bad about it. I don’t think she’ll pull another stunt like that.”

“Wayne, I--”

“You were hurt, but like I said, you had your friends here to help you out. I don’t think Sasha and Jeremiah would leave your side for anything.”

“...you’re doing this on purpose, huh?”

I smile a little bit. “Kinda. Is it working?”

“Kinda.”

Sasha walks over to Jeremiah with a jingle, catching my attention. The two of them seemed to be talking to each other with ASL. Jeremiah noticed me after a moment and picked up his book again. “Is this all you wanted, Wayne?”

“Ah, yeah, I just...Jess wanted me to make sure you guys were okay. She’s with Nancy right now.”

“Alright, then, in that case, can we have our privacy again? We’ll have our dinner later...” He was practically glaring at me from behind his glasses. “...if that’s alright with you.”

“Of...course it is, yeah.” Alright, he’s being...weird. I’d think the others would step in and say something, but it just felt like they were waiting for me to leave at this point, too. “So, then...I’ll see you all later.”

Sasha walks to the door with me and now that I was listening for it, I _definitely_ heard the jingling. Was there a bunch of change in her pocket or something? “Hey, Sasha, what’s...”

‘ _I’ll see you tomorrow, Wayne!_ ’ was written on her sketchbook. I only realized I was standing in the hall again when the door was shut behind me.

“...uh...yeah. See you.” Okay, so they’re definitely up to something. Jeremiah noticed I’d been catching on. Could it have something to do with Mononuki’s weird demands this morning? But...I can’t imagine any of them trying to do something like steal from him. When would they ever get that chance? Maybe I should bring it up to Cass..?

Jess walks up to me with a smile. “Hey, Wayne!” Her smile immediately drops when she sees my face. “Hey, did everything go okay..?”

“Huh..? Oh, yeah, it did. Rick’s patched up and I think I got him to perk up a bit. Sasha and Jeremiah are there for him, so I’m not worried at all.”

“Then what is it? You look so worried.” Jess clasps her hands over his chest. “Are you sure they’re okay?”

“...it’s nothing, really. I’m probably just overthinking on something. How was Nancy?”

“Nancy was really shaken up after the whole thing. I think she finally realized Cassidy might be right about Mononuki.”

Nancy’s always really headstrong. It would take a lot to get her to change her mind. But when she’s being stubborn about how endangered our lives are at the hands of Mononuki, then of course anything that would prove her point would be...

Jess sighs softly, but perks right back up with a smile. “She said she’s going to get some sleep today to think things over. So we’re not going to be seeing her tonight, but at least she’s ready to put this whole thing aside. I’m glad she’s gotten past her plan...”

“Weren’t you the one that ran off with her just the other day to help her with that plan?”

“Ah, well..!” Jess smiles sheepishly and waves her hands in the air a bit. “I got a little carried away, that’s all! I just...” Her expression becomes more serious and her eyes drift down. “I wanted to help. And I didn’t have any plans. Nancy did, and she sounded so sure, so I...just went along with it. But that was pretty silly of me, huh?”

“Hey, I don’t think it was that silly. We’ll think of a plan eventually, okay? We just...need a bit of unity first.”

“Well...then how about this!” Jess suddenly seemed determined again. “I’m going to invite everyone to our exercise meetup tonight! And we can create unity like that! It’s brought you, Nancy, and me all closer together. Even when Patrick and Harold joined us for one night, I felt closer to them, too! I bet it’ll work for everyone else!”

“Well, if you think they’ll agree...”

“I bet they will! In fact, I’ll start now! You go wait and I’ll bring everyone to the gym tonight!” With a pep in her step, Jess heads off quickly to start scouring down the others and rounding them up.

Jess was already gone and, really, what she wanted to do seemed entirely harmless. So I just get my saber from my room and go to the gym to wait like she asked around.

Jess showed up about twenty minutes later, empty-handed and defeated. Not even Harold had come with her this time.

“No luck, huh, Jess?”

She lets out a soft sigh. “Harold and Patrick refused to come back, even though Nancy was sitting out tonight. Jeremiah, Sasha, and Rick don’t want to leave Rick’s room tonight. And I can’t even _find_ Cassidy.”

“Guess it’s just us tonight then.”

“Guess so...”

Jess was pretty bummed out about no one showing up tonight, so we didn’t end up doing much. She decided to go to bed early tonight, so I stayed behind to finish up my exercise. I made sure to get back to my room and shower before the nighttime announcement played. I was waiting outside my room when it finally went off.

“Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...” The screens flicker off as quickly as they had turned on.

Cassidy came to join me soon enough, and together, the two of us took attendance. Patrick actually answered his door tonight, and with Rick, Jeremiah, and Sasha all in the same room, it seemed like everybody was accounted for.

“Hey, Cass, are you going to do your stakeout tonight again?”

“Yes, I am,” she says, eyes on her notepad.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to handle it?”

“I’m sure.”

Her tone was matter-of-fact. I knew there wasn’t much point to argue with her over it. “Alright, well, my door’s unlocked if you need me. See you in the morning.” I wave to her and head into my room. I was able to get to sleep fairly well that night.


	30. Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies - Daily Life Part III

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.”

Once again, I’m stirred awake first thing by the morning announcement. It doesn’t seem like Cassidy came into my room at any point last night. I get myself ready for the morning and head to the cafeteria for breakfast as usual.

Everyone was gathered today. Nancy was unusually quiet, glaring at her fried eggs as she ate them. Rick, Sasha, and Jeremiah were all clearly talking about _something_ in ASL and I was getting more suspicious of them by the minute. Cassidy was sitting at her usual spot, arms crossed and eyes closed with a serious expression. I hope things went well last night.

I get some breakfast and take my seat. Things were quiet at the table and I decided not to ruin that. With what happened yesterday, it’s understandable everyone is still stirred up. I kind of am, too.

The screens around the school flicker to life, but there was no image on them. Mononuki’s voice comes from them anyway. “Can all students report to the secretary’s office, please?”

I stopped eating. The secretary’s office? This isn’t going to be another motive, is it..?

Everyone was beginning to get up and move out of the room in a begrudging silence. I notice Cassidy hadn’t moved an inch. “Cass? Hey, you heard the announcement, right?” When she doesn’t respond, I gently put my hand on her shoulder, causing her to jolt up and open her eyes.

Cassidy seemed a bit frazzled, her eyes settling on me. I quickly retract my hand. “Uh, sorry, I didn’t think you were asleep...”

“I...I wasn’t,” she responds. “...what is it, Wayne? Did you want something?”

“Mononuki summoned everyone to the secretary’s office. We should get going.”

Cassidy nods and gets up. I do, too. “And, Cass...I know you were sleeping. Is this because of those stakeouts? Are you doing them all night?”

“It’s to ensure the safety of the group.”

So, that’s a yes. Cassidy walks out of the room, wiping the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. I stick close by.

“What about your safety? If you’re getting up early to look around and staying up late to keep an eye out and then working all day long, when are you planning to sleep?”

“...I don’t want to sleep, Wayne.”

What? I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Cassidy wasn’t making it any easier to talk to her, either. She was constantly trying to keep her pace a bit faster than mine. We end up being the last ones to the secretary’s office.

For a moment, I thought someone was sitting in the seat of the secretary’s chair, but it didn’t take long to realize it was just a mannequin with a curly yellow wig on top of its head and a speaker attached to its face. The speaker crackles to life. “Patrick Morris, the headmaster will see you now.”

“Tsk.” Patrick shakes his head, his hands lazily put in the pockets of his jeans. “This is ridiculous.” He steps forward and tries the door. It opens with ease, but the room was dark inside. He glances back at the rest of us before stepping inside, the door shutting behind him.

“Do...Do you think he’ll be alright?” Jess asks after a moment of silence.

“He’s strong, I’m sure he’ll be just fine,” Jeremiah says. “Though...I wonder what it is that’s going on in there...”

We spend the next fifteen minutes in further silence. Patrick eventually steps out of the room. He looked unharmed, but now he had a dark glare on his face, his jaw shifting as he ground his teeth.

“What...What happened in there..?” Rick asks softly.

“...none of your _business_ ,” Patrick growls. He wanders to the back of the room, leaning against the wall. The speaker on the mannequin crackles to life again.

“Jessica Watanabe, the headmaster will see you now.”

Worry flickers across Jess’s features. “Um...okay. I’ll see you all in a second.” She puts on a brave face and marches into the headmaster’s office. Fifteen minutes pass and she steps out. It was clear she had been crying. She tries her best to dry her face with her hands, but she still hiccuped and sniffled. She was even shaking.

“Jess, wha--”

“I don’t want to talk about it!” she demands quickly, cutting me off before I could even finish asking. She shrinks in on herself, her shaking getting worse. “I-I’m sorry, I...” She taipers off. She looks down, dragging herself over to a chair and sinking into it.

“Wayne Little, the headmaster will see you now,” the mannequin crackles out.

I swallow dryly. Alright, I guess...I don’t have a choice here. I make my way over to the door, stepping into the office.

The room was dark, but my eyes were able to adjust well enough that I could find my way to the chair in front of a desk. Once I sat down, a lamp flickered on, illuminating the small space in the room I now inhabited. Mononuki sat on the other side of the desk, his head resting on his paws with his tail swishing gently behind himself.

“So...are you gonna give it back to me?” he asks.

“...I still don’t know what you’re talking about...” What else was I supposed to say? He hasn’t given us any information, and whatever it was that was so important, I definitely don’t think I’ve ever seen it.

“Mm...alright.” Mononuki opens a drawer in the desk and fishes something out. He tosses a file down in front of me. My name was scribbled onto it. “The contents of this file aren’t allowed to leave the room, by the way. If they do...mm...” Mononuki trails off.

I hesitantly open the file, greeted with a picture of me, one of my sister, one of my parents, and one of some stranger. There were also several papers. They looked like transcripts for emails. That...was my email address. It was a recording of a conversation I had with someone, but I didn’t recognize the other person. I definitely...didn’t ever send these either.

I could feel the anxiety coiling in my stomach as I read over the transcript. Talk of rigged games, staged victories, a title and medals that I never earned. My parents had gotten my sister and I where we were through bribery and lies, and we were both completely complicit in it. At least, according to these emails. But...

“Th-These aren’t real,” I say, shoving the file back to Mononuki. “Did you make this?!”

“Hard to say,” Mononuki contemplates. “You might think they aren’t real...but what will everyone else think?”

“Everyone...else..?”

“A scandal this big would turn a lot of heads. The Ultimate Fencer and the Ultimate Kendo Master, both frauds, got where they are just because their parents made sure they would. And with all of these leaked emails here to prove it...”

“You...What are you--”

“If I get it back, then...these emails can just disappear. If I don’t...”

“You’re _blackmailing_ me?!” I stand up from my seat, slamming both hands down on the desk. “These emails aren’t real! My sister and I would never do something like that! I know you faked them, no one’s going to believe in this!”

“We both know that people will eat this all up. And...you’re in no position to defend yourself, either.”

The anxiety coiling in my stomach was starting to make me cramp. I could feel a cold sweat trickling down my face. This wasn’t just me he’s threatening, but my sister and my parents, too. My entire family, threatened with some bogus scandal..!

“I didn’t take whatever it is you want. I don’t even know what you lost!”

“Well, you better figure it out fast. I don’t really care who gives it back to me, but if I don’t see it again...” Mononuki takes the file back from off the table again. “...I might just end up losing this file, too. And who knows who might get their hands on it.”

I was at a loss for words. What...What the hell was this thing..? That sleepy demeanor he had was gone once again. He just stared at me with cold eyes, his tone carrying the weight of his threat with it. This really is what he was, under it all. A cold, inhuman creature whose one goal is to tear us all down. If those fake emails leak, it doesn’t matter if I get out of here or not, my entire life will be _over_!

“...our fifteen minutes are up,” Mononuki finally says. “You can step out of my office now. And remember, not a word to anyone else.”

I didn’t argue with him. I didn’t have it in me right now. I leave the room, my mouth uncomfortably dry and my stomach folding into itself. How am I supposed to give him back something when I don’t even know what it is, who took it, or where it went?

Things followed that same pattern for the next hour and a half. Everyone would enter the room, one after the other, and be gone for fifteen minutes. The devastation would be blatant on their face once they emerged again.

“You’re all free to go now,” the speaker crackles on the mannequin.

Nobody spoke about what had happened. After all, Mononuki told me not to, and I’m positive he would have said the same to the others. He was making sure we couldn’t confide in each other over this. We’d just have to sit around and stew in the misery brought on by whatever threats he made.

Even if I can’t do anything to help about this particular issue, even if I can’t stop _thinking_ about it...I still wanted to be there for everyone. I had the rest of the day to myself. I might as well spend it doing what I can.

[FREE TIME - START]

When I peeked into the nurse’s station, I notice Rick was in there. He was shuffling through some of the medical supplies, a small red bag sitting out on the counter.

“Whatcha up to, Rick?”

Rick perks up hearing my voice and looks over. “Oh, um, I’m just...I’m stocking my medical bag. I...I keep one on me at all times. Just...in case.” His head droops a little bit as he speaks, his eyes avoiding mine.

I venture over to him, peering down at the medical bag. Different kinds of bandages, some equipment for stitching, disinfectant and cotton balls. “Looks like you’re ready for anything, huh?”

“Um...y-yeah, I gotta be, after all,” he says. “Hey, uh, you want to help me? I’m having some trouble finding what I need.”

“Yeah, it’s no problem. Just tell me what it is.”

I spend some time helping Rick get all the medical supplies he wanted. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“Are you good with medical stuff?” I ask after we had gotten everything put together in his little medbag.

“Oh, um, more or less. Since I like being prepared and all. Oh, and my dad’s a nurse so...I learned from him.”

I glance at some of the bandages covering Rick’s body. “...you need to use it often?”

“Ah...” Rick notices my gaze and looks down at himself, now a little flustered. “I guess I do, huh..? With my luck, and all...”

“I still don’t know if I get the luck thing. You talk about it so...” I gesture with my hand as I think “...tangibly.”

“Well, uh...hm...” Rick purses his lips. “...you don’t have to think about luck that much, right? I mean, maybe you do sometimes, when it’s applied naturally. But...it’s not something you notice in your life, yeah?”

“Notice..?” I echo.

“Mhmm. The way I see it...luck is inherent, in everyone. The moment we’re born, our luck is a part of us. Like the color of your eyes, it just _is_ . And most people get completely average luck, something that is so common and normal that you don’t even think about it. And then...there’s me. Born with such intense, constant luck, that I don’t have a choice _but_ to acknowledge it.”

“So...that’s it then? You’re just born lucky or not lucky or whatever?”

“Mhmm. At least, I think so. That’s how I understand it. I told you the kind of luck I have, but I think I figured out how to...explain it. You saw an example of it before. My luck is based a lot in...probability. Unlikely things are more likely to happen to me.”

Right, last time, I watched Rick shuffle a deck the exact same way several times. It should be considered impossible to do, and yet...

“You know that saying? If you give a monkey a typewriter and enough time, it could eventually write Shakespeare. And, well...I’m the monkey, I guess.” Rick’s usual soft frown deepens. “...that sounded a lot better in my head...” he pouts.

“What do your parents think about all of this?”

Rick blinks. “My...parents?”

“Yeah. Do they--”

“Um.” Rick cut me off, but then paused, contemplating. “...I’m sorry, can we...I don’t think I want to...talk about them right now. If that’s okay...”

“Ah, yeah, of course, Rick. Sorry...”

“N-No, you don’t have to apologize! It’s okay. I’ll just...get out of your hair.” Rick grabs his stuff and leaves the room. Did I hit a sore spot with him, or was something else the matter..? I decide to leave as well

When I entered the rec room, I noticed Nancy was at the pool table. She wasn’t very...good at it. She’d turned the pool cues into a baseball bat to whack the balls with all her might. One of them soared past my head as I entered.

“Jesus!” I yelp, ducking down as the cue ball whizzes past me and into the hallway. “Nancy, what are you doing?!”

“What? I’m playin’ pool.” She said it like that was the most obvious thing in the world. “I don’t get this game, though. The sticks are so brittle and the balls won’t stay on the table!”

“That’s because you’re doing it wrong...”

“No way!”

“Yes way.”

“Then come over here and show me how it’s done!” Nancy thrusts the pool stick out to me, almost ramming the end of it into my gut.

I take the stick and go retrieve the cue ball. “Alright, alright, here.” I put it back on the table and get it set up for a game.

I spend some time teaching Nancy how to play pool. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“Man, I can make this game way more fun!” Nancy demands. She swipes the pool stick out of my hands and lines up a shot. She hits the cue ball with all her might, sending it crashing into the other balls. I had to duck down as several went flying into the air.

I slowly stand up again once I heard the last of the heavy clatters around me. “You know, brute force isn’t the answer to everything, Nance...”

“Eh? Why d’ya say that?” She leans on the pool stick. I could see the wood bending under her weight.

“Well, I mean, you didn’t get any of the balls to go into the pocket from that. And a few of them hit the floor.”

“Well, this game should have higher walls! It’s not my fault it was made wrong!”

“But it’s not made wrong. You’re hitting them too hard. You don’t play it that way.”

“Why can’t I just do it the way I want, huh?! Agh, whatever, it’s just one stupid game. The girls solve all my other problems!” Nancy grins wide and flexes the arm that wasn’t being used to lean.

“So, like, studying for a test?”

“...problems other than that!”

“What about strategy games, like checkers or chess?”

“Okay, well...”

“Do they help with talking things out, either?”

“Alright! What’s your damn point, eh?” Nancy was starting to get prickly, like an animal ready to strike.

“Ah, I’m just saying...your brute strength is great, but not for everything. Why don’t you try to do stuff another way?”

“Why should I? Fine, maybe I can’t punch my way out of every issue, but it works most of the time! ‘Sides, I’m not great at all the thinkin’ and plannin’ stuff.” Nancy huffs and closes her eyes, leaning on the pool stick more until... _CRRRCK!_

The stick snaps in two and Nancy goes tumbling to the ground with a crash. I flinch when I heard her land. “...uh, Nance?”

“Leave,” she growls. I didn’t need to be told twice.

Nancy can be stubborn, that’s for sure. It’s not like her strength saves her from everything all the time, though, right? Even she admitted to it. I wish she wasn’t so headstrong about everything. It could mean trouble...

I was able to find Sasha in one of the classrooms. She was poking around at the textbooks the room had to offer with a fairly bored expression.

I tap her shoulder to get her attention. “Hey, whatcha looking for?”

‘ _I was just thinking about school and studying. Guess I want to do something normal_ ,’ she wrote down. She still looked bored just thinking about the textbooks though.

“Ha, well, I can understand that. See anything interesting?”

‘ _Not even a little_.’

“Why don’t we flip through a science textbook and pretend we’re cramming for a big final?”

Sasha ponders it for a moment before smiling and nodding. She grabs a textbook and the two of us take a seat.

I spend some time pretending to study with Sasha. The two of us grew a little closer today.

Even while fake studying, I could barely force myself to absorb any of the words on the page. I just flipped to the next one when I thought Sasha was done, but it was hard to tell if she was paying any more attention than I was. I wonder how Harold is able to do something like this all the time.

“...oh, right!” I gently tap Sasha’s shoulder to draw her attention. Once she was looking at me, I began to show her what I had learned studying for ASL. [Hi. My name is W-A-Y-N-E.]

“Ah!” Sasha let out a little queak, her eyes absolutely sparkling. Her hands start moving, and I was almost immediately lost.

I put up my hands with a sheepish smile. “Woah, woah, sorry...that’s all I learned so far. I’m still working on it.”

Sasha grabs her sketchbook and quickly scribbles down on it. ‘ _Wayne, that was really good! You moved a bit slow, but with some more practice, I bet you could pick it up really quickly!_ ’ Sasha had an absolutely massive grin that she was sheepishly trying to hide behind her sketchbook.

I smile gently. “Thanks, I hope so. But I told you I can learn on my own, didn’t I? I want to be able to talk with you in a way that’s more comfortable, and I want to put the work in to make that a reality.”

‘ _No one’s ever said that to me before..._ ’ Now Sasha was trying to hide her blush behind her sketchbook.

“Well, more people should be. I promise, once we get out of here, I’ll hold an entire conversation with you in ASL all on my own.”

‘ _That’d be so great!_ ’ Sasha threw her hands up after showing that to me, her sketchbook flying into the air. She wraps her arms around me in a big hug, not even bothering to hide her massive grin now.

I don’t think anyone’s ever tried to give Sasha this kind of respect. She’s always trying to lead and teach, but she shouldn’t have to do it all the time, either. Maybe it’s the fame making people want to be her friend, or maybe they see what I see--a bright, bubbly girl that wants to get along with everyone around her. Either way, I hope people will treat her the way she deserves. I feel like I understand Sasha a little better now. The two of us really are friends.

I spend some time showing Sasha the rest of what I learned, which was the alphabet and some really simple phrases. I promised her I’d know more next time we talked before I left.

I picked up some dinner in the cafeteria that night. Nancy was there to eat, but she still seemed a lot quieter than usual. Rick, Sasha, and Jeremiah were also here, but they stood at one of the standing tables, talking to each other using ASL, so I couldn’t really tell what they were going on about.

I take my seat next to Cassidy, giving her a glance to make sure she wasn’t asleep. She wasn’t, thankfully, but I could tell she was still tired.

“...hey, Cass, I want to take your shift tonight, okay?”

“Wayne, we’ve talked about--”

“I don’t care. You need to sleep, and at the rate you’re going, you won’t be able to handle this duty in a few days anyway. I’m taking over tonight. You can’t change my mind.”

Cassidy frowns with thin lips and gently closes her eyes. “...fine. I’ll take a break tonight, but then I’m going to take over again. I’ll leave my door unlocked. If anything happens, you’re to report to my room first and foremost. Am I clear?”

I nod and salute. “As crystal, Cass.”

“...what have I told you about calling me that?”

“Huh?” Oh, I had almost forgotten. She hates that nickname. But...I swear I’ve been using it for a while now...

“My bad, Cassidy.” I smile sheepishly and rub the back of my head, elicting a sigh from her.

“I’m going to retire to my room. Come get me when it’s time for the attendance.”

“Got it. I’ll see you then!”

Cassidy gets up from the table and leaves, hopefully to take a nap. Now then, the only issue was tonight’s exercise. I don’t think I could do that, then try to pull an all-nighter. I don’t think Cassidy would like it if I told anyone else about what I was doing, but I’d need some kind of excuse for Nancy and Jess, wouldn’t I? Or, well...

I glance over at Nancy again. Still just picking at her food. Despite having Jess check up on her, she didn’t seem to be doing any better than before. Was she going to skip tonight, too? “Hey, Nance--”

“‘M going’ to bed.” Nancy gets up from the table and leaves, abandoning her half-eaten food there. Well, guess I had my answer...

I look to Jess next. “Are we going to--”

“Harold and I have plans tonight, actually,” she says without looking at me. The downcast expression on her face didn’t make me feel great about that answer.

“Well, alright, that’s fine.” My schedule was cleared, at least, so I went to my room after finishing my dinner. It felt strange to just wait around now, but that’s all I could really do for the time being. With the reveal of that motive, I doubt anyone’s looking for company this late at night.

That motive...it’s just making me think about my family again. Mononuki used them against me already in the first motive, making me think that they could be falling apart. It was dumb of me to buy into that, but...this threat was far more real. Far more dangerous to me. I’m not going to kill, but now that I’m alone in my room, all I can think about is the file...

“Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...” Mononuki says over the announcements. “Oh, and...no one’s come to turn it back in again. If you kids won’t hold your end of the bargain then...” He trails off and the screens shut off.

I sigh softly and get out of bed, heading to the hallway. I wait for Cassidy, but after a few minutes, she never came by. I go peek into her bedroom. Sure enough, her door was unlocked, and I could see she was fast asleep in bed. I didn’t want to bother her, so I shut the door again.

I didn’t see anyone in the hall, so presumably, they had all gotten into bed by now. I decided to do the attendance for the night. Jess, Rick, Nancy, and Harold were the only ones to answer their doors. Patrick didn’t, like usual, but Sasha and Jeremiah didn’t answer their doors either.

It’s not like I can sit and bang on their doors expecting them to show up or go wander the school to see if they went somewhere. But why would those two be missing? It just seems...well, out of character. I sigh softly and lean against my door. I sound like Jeremiah now.

I wasn’t doing much to keep track of the time. It was hard to find things to do in the school that wasn’t sleeping or talking to people. I didn’t want to leave my post to find something else to do, either. So I ended up just letting my mind wander aimlessly.

At some point, I heard a door open. I look over to see Jeremiah entering the hallway from the right side of the room--the same as my door. He catches my eye, but doesn’t say anything as he walks down the hall.

“Ah, hey, Jeremiah. What are you up to?” I stand up more straight. Cassidy didn’t mention ever seeing anyone the last two nights. He hasn’t been doing this before, has he?

“None of your business,” he says, walking past me.

“Uh, I think it is.” I start following after him, keeping up. “You shouldn’t be out of your room right now.”

“You shouldn’t be, either.”

“I’m just keeping an eye on things.” I finally grab him by the elbow to stop him when we entered the foyer. “Hey, at least tell me where you’re going.”

Jeremiah sighs and turns to face me, but I could immediately tell he wasn’t actually looking at me. “I’m taking a walk because I can’t sleep. Is that so bad?”

“No, but...”

He shakes my hand off his arm. “Then I’m going to keep walking.”

“I’ll stay with you, then. Just in case.”

Jeremiah frowns and looks past me again. “...fine, I guess.”

I follow Jeremiah through the foyer and to the end of the hall of classrooms. Then we turn around and walk back to the dorms. Jeremiah was quiet the entire time and I didn’t want to bother him. He went back to his room once we got there without so much as a goodnight.

I don’t know what time it was when it happened. I must have started falling asleep, because I was jolted back to awareness at the loud noise that seemed to rip through the school.

_RATTATTATTATTATTATTATTATTATTATTATTATTATTA!_

I scramble back to my feet. Gunshots?! Those sounded like gunshots! Cassidy told me to go find her if I heard anything, but...but what if someone was hurt and needed help?! I can’t just leave them to die!

I ran out of the hallway, the sound stopping by the time I got to the stairwell. But I could tell that it was coming from the top, so I ran up to the fifth floor and burst into the hall.

It was eerily quiet now. The sounds had stopped. I couldn’t hear anyone. But...I noticed something. The door for the security room was open now, lights flickering out of the room and into the hall. Was someone in there..?

I slowly make my way over and look inside the room. I froze in the doorway as I took in the sight. To the right, a Gatling gun was sticking out of the ceiling, smoke still wafting from the barrel. And to the left, the body of **Sasha Davis, the SHSL Online Artist,** lay slumped in a bloody heap against the wall, her body riddled with bullet holes.


	31. Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies - Deadly Life Investigation

**Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies [Deadly Life - START!]**

The smell of blood was overwhelming. _Fresh_. It was still pooling around Sasha’s lifeless body.

I put a hand over my mouth, stumbling until my back was up against the wall. I was going to be sick. I could feel something rising up inside of me, bubbling and churning until it came out of my mouth.

“ ** _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_ **” I screamed louder than ever before, my voice ricocheting off the walls. It went on until my throat burn and I had no more air left to scream.

I had slumped down to the bottom of the wall, both hands over my mouth as they shook. I don’t know if I can keep taking this. Keeping a brave face for the others, investigating murder after murder knowing that someone else was going to die no matter what in the trial. It was all too much for me! Now there’s another person dead, _freshly dead_ , and that would mean we’d have to kill someone else tonight.

No one was around that needed a brave face. I didn’t have to swallow my scream and jump into the investigation. I let it all out. I let my body shake and fail. I let the hot tears spill down my face. Fear and anguish engulfed me, and it was cathartic and sickening all at once.

The door opened for the stairwell. I look over to see it was everyone, being led by Rick.

“U-Up here, it’s--o-oh, god, it’s...”

Jeremiah shoves past Rick as soon as he was through the door, charging in my direction. He didn’t even look at me, going right into the security office in front of me. He then stumbles out backward, the back of his hand over his mouth and his legs nearly giving out. “Dear god...”

Patrick was the one to reach the door next and peek inside. As soon as he did...

**Ding-Dong~! Bing-Bong~!**

“Mmnggh...” Mononuki’a voice came over the speakers, as sleepy as ever. He didn’t even have his eyes open on the screens. “So late...mm...body...ah, you already found it...you have your Monofile’s unlocked. I’ll...mm...start the trial when I wake up...”

The screens shut off, leaving us only with another investigation at hand. Another body. Another trial.

I was vaguely aware of someone getting my back to my feet. I didn’t see who it was. My body reacted on its own, grappling onto them in a tight hug. Arms wrap around me in return and the support helped me collect myself enough to stop crying and make my body relax.

“You can let go now,” Cassidy says.

I quickly let go of the girl, standing up straight and wiping my face off. “I...I’m sorry, Cass. You probably didn’t...I know you probably don’t...like that kind of stuff, I just...”

“It’s fine,” she says with a wave of her hand. “Really. Are you going to be well enough to handle this?”

There was a certain...softness to Cassidy’s voice that I’ve never heard before. She was really worried about me, huh? I sniffle again and wipe my eyes. “...I don’t know. But we have to investigate, huh..?”

“...take a break if you need to.” She gives me a nod and ventures into the security room, as strong as ever.

I take a few deep breaths and look over at the others. Rick was having what I could only describe as a panic attack. Jeremiah didn’t seem to be in any condition to help him, but Jess was there with the two of them at least. Nancy, Patrick, and Harold had all gone into the security room with Cassidy to investigate.

I manage to fish out my handbook and turn it on to look at the latest Monofile.

_Monofile #4_

_The victim of this case is Sasha Davis, the Ultimate Online Artist. Sasha’s body was found in the security office. The cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds, resulting in organ rupture and blood loss. The time of death is estimated to be about 2:13 am. The body was found by Wayne, Jeremiah, and Patrick._

Well, at least it seems to have given us the usual amount of information. Nothing to be hidden this time.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Monofile #4**

_Monofile #4_

_The victim of this case is Sasha Davis, the Ultimate Online Artist. Sasha’s body was found in the security office. The cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds, resulting in organ rupture and bloodloss. The time of death is estimated to be about 2:13 am. The body was found by Wayne, Jeremiah, and Patrick._

I shove my handbook back into my pocket. I can’t put it off forever. I walk into the security office.

The office was a decent size. The entire back wall was lined with screens that seemed to show just about every room in the school. There were a few on there I didn’t recognize. I’d worry about it later, I’m too tired and stressed tonight. On the table was a keyboard and a large control panel with various buttons laid out, almost none of them labeled. A box of donuts sat on the table, along with a coffee maker. Under the table was a large computer with flickering lights that whirred softly. The room itself was fairly dark and grey, nothing else particularly out of the ordinary that was normally here.

Up against the leftmost wall near the doorway was Sasha, her body slumped into a splattering pool of her own blood. Bullets had torn through her, leaving her body riddled with holes. Her sketchbook sat in her lap, splashed in blood and covered in a few holes as well. A look of fear and shock was etched forever into her face. It was hard to look at. On the wall she was slumped against, I could see where the bullets had damaged it. It was the only spot in the room like that, holes and dents in the walls.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Sasha’s Body**

_Sasha is slumped against the leftmost wall, fear etched into her face. Her body is riddled with bullet holes and she’s covered in blood. Her sketchbook was also damaged._

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Wall**

_The wall behind Sasha, near the door, is damaged from the gunfire, with dents and holes. It’s the only spot in the room like that._

I glance to the left, seeing the gun still hanging from the ceiling. That was, without a doubt, the weapon.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Gatling Gun**

_A Gatling gun for the security room, meant as a security measure, was sticking out of the ceiling. It had recently fired._

I look back to the body just in time to see Cassidy gently pull Sasha’s sketchbook out of her hand. “Ah, what are you..?”

“She’s used this to communicate with us, didn’t she?” Cassidy asks. “Maybe there’s a conversation in here we could use.”

I peer over Cassidy’s shoulder as she begins flipping through the sketchbook. The edges of the pages are soaked in blood and there are holes that have ruined some of the words or drawings that filled the pages.

Getting to what seemed to be the most recent page, we could see something written on it in Sasha’s usual curly handwriting.

_The Plan_

_See what’s inside those locked rooms. Try front door._ _Stop Mononuki._ _Find who is in control._

That was all that was written on the page and it was the last one. She must not have had any conversations with people after writing that.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Sasha’s Sketchbook**

_Sasha wrote one last thing in her sketchbook before she died. It read:_

_The Plan_

_See what’s inside those locked rooms. Try front door._ _Stop Mononuki._ _Find who is in control._

Cassidy replaces the sketchbook where she found it. “It seems like something was going on under our noses.” She starts going through Sasha’s pockets, but turns up empty.

I was going to hope that was it for the body, then, and decide to look elsewhere in the room.

I move over to the security system, which Patrick seemed interested in. He was trying different buttons on a control panel located on the far left side of the table, but it didn’t seem like anything was happening.

“Hey, should you be doing that?” I ask.

“They’re controls for the cameras,” Patrick says. “From what I can tell, they’re for manipulating the footage. Erase, rewind, pause, so forth. You just have to select a camera to view on this screen in front of the controls and use controls to manipulate it. But...” He frowns and presses a button a few times in a row, looking at the screen in front of him. “...they’re not working.”

“Huh? They’re not? Think it’s busted?”

Patrick takes his hands off the control. “Well, they are wet...” He brings his hand up to his nose and sniffs it. “...coffee.”

“Hm?”

“Someone spilled coffee onto the controls. They probably short-circuited, then.” He sighs and wipes his hands off on his pants.

So the controls for the security cameras were broken. So was that on purpose or...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Security System**

_There’s a set of controls that can be used to manipulate security footage for a specific room. They’ve been damaged by coffee and left useless._

“What about these other buttons?” I ask, looking at a control panel on the far right end of the table.

“I’m not sure,” Patrick says, glancing over. “Have you check the labels?”

I walk closer to look over the panel. It was covered in buttons, each one labeled with a set of letters. There was also some blood splashed onto it. “...I’m not sure what they mean. This one just says ‘C’. This one says ‘B1 and those go up to ‘B16’. ‘SR’, ‘AR’, ‘NO’, ‘EH’...they just go on like that.”

Patrick sighs. “Try pressing one.”

“Is that a good idea..?”

“So long as I’m not the one doing it, I don’t care.”

I frown softly as I look over the panel. Which of these buttons should I press? What do they even do..? I press a button labeled as ‘RR’.

A flicker of movement on the security screens catches my attention. I look over, seeing the one I recognized as the rec room. A gatling gun, similar to the one in the security room at the moment, was now sticking out of a hole in the ceiling. It wasn’t firing, thank god, but it definitely wasn’t there before. I hesitantly press the same button as before and the gun disappears into the ceiling again.

“I...I think it’s the controls for the weapons around the school,” I say.

“Then don’t touch it again,” Patrick says, not looking at me as he tries to get the security panel to work.

I step away from the panel. So the security weaponry is controlled from here, huh? Then that would mean...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Security Weaponry Panel**

_A panel in the security room that controls the weapons hiding around the school. Pressing the button can summon the weapon from the space it hides in. Blood splashed onto it._

There was something pretty obvious to notice, especially not that I was standing next to it. One of the security screens was damaged, a hole in the screen with sparks occasionally flying. I had no way to tell what room it used to be looking at now. Did someone smash it?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Broken Security Screen**

_One of the screens in the security room was broken, a hole in the screen. There’s no way to tell what room it used to see._

There was something else glaringly obvious to me in the room, and that would be the blood. Obviously, there was a lot of it around Sasha and the wall behind her. But I noticed a fair amount of blood in the room that didn’t seem to belong to her. It started at the control panel for the weapons, went out the door. It looked like it disappeared at some point into the hall.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Blood Trail**

_A trail of blood is found starting at the weaponry control panel and going out of the security room. It stops midway down the hall._

I don’t think I could bear to go into the security room again, at least for now. I’m sure I found the really important things, anyway. Before I move on to look elsewhere, maybe I should take the time to check in on some of the others.

I make my way over to Rick, Jeremiah, and Jess. It looked like she had gotten the two of them to collect themselves, at least somewhat.

Rick sat on the floor, arms around his legs and his face buried into his knees. Jeremiah had his arms crossed, his hands digging tightly into his blazer as he glared at the ground.

“...hey, I...I’m sorry,” I say. “I know...you two were close to her.”

“Don’t,” Jeremiah says bitterly. “Just tell us what you want or go away.”

“...I want to know what you two were up to tonight. If...that’s alright.”

“...you know what I was up to,” Jeremiah says. “You trailed me on my walk and I went back to my room after. It was...1 am, I think. Something like that.”

That’s true, but I feel like there’s something Jeremiah isn’t telling me. I don’t think he’ll appreciate it if I press him for answers.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Jeremiah’s Testimony**

_Jeremiah has left his room at about 1 am for a nighttime walk. I followed him the whole time until he went back to his room._

I look to Rick. “...hey, Rick, do you mind...telling me what you were doing?”

“...what I was...doing?” Rick asks weakly. “I...I don’t...”

“You went to get the others, didn’t you?” I ask. “So...you were up here already, around the time--”

“Are you trying to imply that I’m the killer?!” RIck demands, looking up at me.

“H-Huh? No, of course not! Rick, you at least were out of your room, weren’t you? You seemed to know where Sasha was...”

Rick frowns softly and curls up a bit tighter on himself. “I...I was with her for a bit. But, uh, we separated...and then I heard...I-I couldn’t even...look in the room. I just...went to get everyone...”

“What were you two doing..?”

“She...um...” Rick glances at Jeremiah then down at the floor. “She had this...plan. I didn’t, um, know all the details. I was just supposed to keep an eye out. She went into the security room and then...the gun fired...” RIck shivers again. “I-I’m sorry, that’s...that’s all...”  
  
I shouldn’t push Rick for any more information. It sounds like I had enough to go off of anyway.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Rick’s Testimony**

_Rick had gone with Sasha tonight for a plan she had. He wasn’t filled in on all the details, but he did wait outside the security room when he heard the gunfire and left to get everyone else._

This is hard for Jeremiah and Rick, I know. Sasha was a close friend of there’s. I should just leave them be until the trial, I doubt I’ll have much else to ask of them.

I decide it would be best to make my way to the headmaster’s office, just to check on things. Sure enough, the door was unlocked and left ajar. I slip into the room.

Things didn’t look much different than the last time I was here. I walk deeper in, going to the desk so I could snoop around. I could see something more clearly one I was there, such as a trashcan tucked under the desk. It was filled with ash, clearly burnt paper, since there were still scraps of it left. I sift through it a little, able to recognize the folders as the same as the one Mononuki presented us during his blackmailing. Someone burnt them, then. But...was it Mononuki, or..?

No, why would it be Mononuki? We didn’t find whatever he was looking for. At the very least, there wouldn’t be a corpse if we had...what was it that he lost, anyway? It had to be important somehow to this case. There must be some way to know what it was...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Burnt Blackmail**

_Someone burnt the blackmail to ash in the headmaster’s office trashcan._

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Mononuki’s Missing Item**

_Someone stole something from Mononuki, which he doesn’t appear to have back. He wouldn’t tell anyone what it was._

I start going through the desk’s drawers, shuffling through various papers. I wish I could spend more time actually _looking_ , but with the amount of time we had before a trial starting, I knew I couldn’t waste time. I just kept my eyes open for anything relevant.

I manage to come across something in one of the lower drawers. It was another of the blackmail folders. I put it on top of the desk and open it up, a few pictures fluttering out. It was one of Rick, along with two other people. They didn’t look anything like him, but according to what I glanced over, those were his parents. Why didn’t his folder get burnt?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Rick’s Blackmail**

_Rick’s blackmail folder was left in another drawer, still intact._

I put the folder back and start looking over the top of the desk. It was tidy, with only a computer and a lamp. Well, there was also a golden case for cigarettes with a lighter next to it. Most likely what was used to burn the folders.

Nothing else in the headmaster’s office seemed out of place. I make my way out of the room. Hm...so that’s the second door opened, right? This room and the security room had both been locked tight before, but now they weren’t. And neither door seemed damaged, either. How did anyone get inside?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Unlocked Doors**

_The doors for the security room and headmaster’s office have been unlocked. Neither door appears damaged._

I was about to leave the secretary’s office when Cassidy entered the room, moving with a brisk pace. She stops, however, when she sees me.

“Wayne, good, I was hoping to run into you.”

“Really? What’s up, Cass?”

“I wanted to ask what happened tonight.” She advances on me quickly, jabbing me in the chest as she glares me down with an icy stare. “You were supposed to watch the hall, but Sasha and Rick both managed to get past you.”

“I-I was!” I demand. “Seriously! I stayed in the hall all night...except...”

“ _Except_?” Cassidy presses.

“...well...Jeremiah left his room and wouldn’t listen to me. He was just going for a walk because he couldn’t sleep, and I decided to stick with him so he wouldn’t go wandering off...”

“A distraction...” Cassidy muses. “You should have come to get me so I could keep your post, Wayne...”

“I...I didn’t think...” I frown, looking away in shame. “...I’m sorry, Cassidy. You needed the sleep, and I thought it would be fine...we were barely gone for ten minutes...”

Cassidy sighs deeply and backs off a bit. “Just tell me everything that happened that night, okay?”

I nod and go over what happened since the nighttime announcement played. I mentioned those that didn’t answer their doors that night, my walk with Jeremiah, and hearing the gunshots.

“And you didn’t come to get me after the gunshots?” Cassidy asks.

“I-I was worried that someone got hurt and needed help! I didn’t want to waste a second.”

“...I understand. If that’s everything, I’m going to take a look around the headmaster’s office.”

“Right...ah, do you have any insight to this case like last time?”

Cassidy pauses then flips through her notes for several seconds. “I’d say keep in mind the people Sasha could communicate with effectively. She was conspiring behind our backs, so she might have used that.”

I nod. “Understood. Then...good luck, Cass. I’ll see you later.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Sasha’s ASL**

_Sasha was fluent in ASL. The only other people that seemed to understand it were Jeremiah and Rick._

I make my way out of the room and head back to the hall. The others in the security room seemed to be finishing their investigation and were stepping out. Jess still seemed to have her hands full with Jeremiah and Rick, even though I wanted to ask her something. There was Harold, too, though.

I walk over to the prodigy, his eyes catching mine for a moment. “Wayne,” he greets. He was trying to be strong, but I could see the way his hands nervously adjust his clothes occasionally. “Is there something you need from me?”

“Yeah, it’ll just take a second,” I assure. “Jess said you and her had plans tonight, so I was wondering what you were up to?”

A tinge of pink crosses Harold’s face and he looks away, a tight frown on his face. “...we were talking. She was offering me a place to stay should we...get out of here. But we went our separate ways before the nighttime announcement played.”

Ah, that’s right, Perry was his only family, wasn’t he? I had so much else on my mind, I hadn’t even considered it. “Alright, I just wanted to check. Thanks, Harold.”

“...there is something else,” Harold says after a moment. “I was having trouble sleeping, so...” Harold pauses, then sighs heavily. “I want to Jessica’s room after some time...and I only saw it for a moment before I entered her room, but...Sasha had been leaving as well.”

“Hm? Sasha was leaving her room?”

“That’s right. I’m afraid I don’t know the time it happened, but I’m certain I saw Sasha entering the hallway from a room on my side of the hall.”

“Hm...alright, Harold. Thanks for telling me.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Harold’s Testimony**

_While going to Jess’s room, Harold noticed Sasha was leaving a room on his side of the hall._

I didn’t have anything to ask Nancy or Patrick as far as I was aware, so I make my way to the stairwell. Rick said he went downstairs to get everyone when the gunshots rang out, but I never saw him. My eyes drift to the elevator. Would that..?

I press the button. The doors for the elevator open and I look inside. Well, it functioned, so it makes sense for Rick to have taken it. I notice something stuck in the door, though, and pull it out before they close. It looks like a scrap of white cloth...was this gauze?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Gauze**

_A scrap of gauze was caught in the elevator door._

I make my way downstairs, back to the first floor. I checked in on the entrance hall, but the front door seemed the same as ever. The last step of Sasha’s plan was to find out who did this. Maybe she tried to investigate some bedrooms? I make my way to the dorm halls.

The bedrooms all seemed the same as ever. On the right was Harold, Francesca, Nancy, Patrick, me, Betty, Rick, and Giffany. On the left Joshua, Jess, Perry, Jeremiah, Rita, Sasha, Tyler, and Cassidy.

...huh? Why does...that sound wrong?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Order of Rooms**

_On the right was Harold, Francesca, Nancy, Patrick, me, Betty, Rick, and Giffany. On the left Joshua, Jess, Perry, Jeremiah, Rita, Sasha, Tyler, and Cassidy._

Just as I was trying to think things over, I heard the familiar sound of Mononuki’s voice over the school’s screens. “Okay, okay, I’m awake...I think. Um, let’s all get to the trial now...”

I sigh softly and make my way to the stairwell, joining everyone else in the elevator. It shudders and begins moving down on its own, just like always. The elevator was otherwise silent. Even Jeremiah and Rick had nothing to say. Something about this whole murder just didn’t feel...right. And I was going to find out what!

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. The fourth class trial has begun..!


	32. Trial 4 Truth Bullets

Truth Bullets

**Truth Bullet: Monofile #4**

_Monofile #4_

_The victim of this case is Sasha Davis, the Ultimate Online Artist. Sasha’s body was found in the security office. The cause of death is multiple gunshot wounds, resulting in organ rupture and bloodloss. The time of death is estimated to be about 2:13 am. The body was found by Wayne, Jeremiah, and Patrick._

**Truth Bullet: Sasha’s Body**

_Sasha is slumped against the leftmost wall, fear etched into her face. Her body is riddled with bullet holes and she’s covered in blood. Her sketchbook was also damaged._

**Truth Bullet: Wall**

_The wall behind Sasha, near the door, is damaged from the gunfire, with dents and holes. It’s the only spot in the room like that._

**Truth Bullet: Gatling Gun**

_A Gatling gun for the security room, meant as a security measure, was sticking out of the ceiling. It had recently fired._

**Truth Bullet: Sasha’s Sketchbook**

_Sasha wrote one last thing in her sketchbook before she died. It read:_

_The Plan_

_See what’s inside those locked rooms. Try front door._ _Stop Mononuki._ _Find who is in control._

**Truth Bullet: Security System**

_There’s a set of controls that can be used to manipulate security footage for a specific room. They’ve been damaged by coffee and left useless._

**Truth Bullet: Security Weaponry Panel**

_A panel in the security room that controls the weapons hiding around the school. Pressing the button can summon the weapon from the space it hides in. Blood splashed onto it._

**Truth Bullet: Broken Security Screen**

_One of the screens in the security room was broken, a hole in the screen. There’s no way to tell what room it used to see._

**Truth Bullet: Blood Trail**

_A trail of blood is found starting at the weaponry control panel and going out of the security room. It stops midway down the hall._

**Truth Bullet: Jeremiah’s Testimony**

_Jeremiah has left his room at about 1 am for a nighttime walk. I followed him the whole time until he went back to his room._

**Truth Bullet: Rick’s Testimony**

_Rick had gone with Sasha tonight for a plan she had. He wasn’t filled in on all the details, but he did wait outside the security room when he heard the gunfire and left to get everyone else._

**Truth Bullet: Burnt Blackmail**

_Someone burnt the blackmail to ash in the headmaster’s office trashcan._

**Truth Bullet: Mononuki’s Missing Item**

_Someone stole something from Mononuki, which he doesn’t appear to have back. He wouldn’t tell anyone what it was._

**Truth Bullet: Rick’s Blackmail**

_Rick’s blackmail folder was left in another drawer, still intact._

**Truth Bullet: Unlocked Doors**

_The doors for the security room and headmaster’s office have been unlocked. Neither door appears damaged._

**Truth Bullet: Sasha’s ASL**

_Sasha was fluent in ASL. The only other people that seemed to understand it were Jeremiah and Rick._

**Truth Bullet: Harold’s Testimony**

_While going to Jess’s room, Harold noticed Sasha was leaving a room on his side of the hall._

**Truth Bullet: Gauze**

_A scrap of gauze was caught in the elevator door._

**Truth Bullet: Order of Rooms**

_On the right was Harold, Francesca, Nancy, Patrick, me, Betty, Rick, and Giffany. On the left Joshua, Jess, Perry, Jeremiah, Rita, Sasha, Tyler, and Cassidy._


	33. Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies - Deadly Life Trial Part I

We were back in the trial room now, with some more changes to the room. First off were the three new pictures standing in empty podiums. Rita with the left half of a broken heart over her face, Tyler with the right half of a broken heart over his face, and Sasha, with a curly X drawn over her face.

For the room itself, I could see that the glamor was increased with tables set up around the room, expensive decorations like statues and gems sitting on them for display. It was almost gaudy, to a degree.

I take my place at my podium along with the others. Despite what he said before, Mononuki appeared to be fast asleep in his podium. It’s not like we need him anyway...

“...can we...get this done quickly?” Rick asks softly. He had his hood up and it was tough to see his eyes under the shadow it cast on his face. “I think...I-I think I might be sick...if I have to stand here a second longer...”

Jess frowns. “Alright, Rick. Let’s start with the body like usual.”

“But it’s pretty obvious what’s goin’ on with all that, ain’t it?” Nancy asks, arms crossed. “Even I could put it together!”

“We should discuss it anyway,” Harold says. “Even if there’s nothing difficult to discuss, it could springboard us to another topic.”

I don’t know if anyone was going to say something wrong here, but I should still be prepared for this discussion.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Okay...so Sasha was **killed with a gun** ,” Nancy says. “Fuckin’ coward’s way of doin’ it...”

“Not just any gun,” Harold says, “but a Gatling gun. They’re made to fire large amounts of ammunition in a quick amount of time. So long as that was aimed at her, there was no chance she would have survived the attack.”

“The Monofile agrees that a gun killed Sasha,” Cassidy adds. “In fact, we seem to have our **typical amount** of information back.”

“How...does the gun even work?” Jeremiah asks. “Rick? Do you know..?”

“I...I think it came out **because she got into the room**...” Rick murmurs. “I dunno...”

Because she got into the room? Is that right..? I think there might be something else...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Security Weapon Panel**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

Rick flinches, tugging on the strings of his hoodie. “What...what do you mean..?”

“There’s actually another way that the gun could be operated, one that we can prove. There’s a panel in the room that activates weaponry around the school. Someone could have used it to activate the gun.”

“Do those weapons fire automatically every time they’re summoned?” Cassidy ponders.

“No, actually,” Patrick responds. “Wayne was stupid enough to press one of them. We saw another gun come out in the rec room on the security system, but it never fired.”

“S-Stupid..?” I sputter. He never tried to stop me from pressing the button, if he thought it was such a bad idea...

“We’ve seen weapons like it before, though, and they fired,” Harold says. “Maybe they have some sort of sensor that causes them to fire when detecting people.”

“Th-Then shouldn’t it have fired when...when you all entered to investigate..?” Rick asks softly.

“Mononuki!” Patrick barks, stirring the tanuki from his sleep. “Would you care to explain how, exactly, those weapons of yours function?”

“Hm..? Oh! Yeah, sure... _yaaaawn_...” Mononuki seemed as sleepy as ever, but there’s something sinister about it now that I knew the kind of monster laid under it. “Um...” Mononuki scratches his head gently. “...so. The weapons around the school fire when detecting people after they’ve been summoned. It sounds like you’ve already gathered that the weapons are summoned using that control panel, but what you don’t know is that I’m connected to it wirelessly. So...I can summon them whenever I want. Um...mm...oh, right...I can disable them whenever, too. So I made sure it wouldn’t fire at you kids during your investigation...”

“That confirms it then,” Patrick says. “The gun would detect Sasha’s presence and fire onto her. That’s all we needed from you.”

“Oh...okay...” Mononuki’s ears drooped. “I still wanted to explain the trial rules again...but... _yaaawn_...I’m so sleepy...” He curls up on the throne again and was asleep in seconds.

“...I still haven’t figured out why a robot toy needs sleep,” Nancy says.

“Besides that, we have a better understanding of the guns. But doesn’t that pose another interesting question?” Patrick says. “After all, Mononuki himself admits that the weaponry can be summoned by him at any point.”

“...you...you think he’s the one that brought the gun out to fire on Sasha..?!” Jess asks, stunned.

“Would we even be having this trial if that’s the case..?” Jeremiah asks. “We can’t exactly vote for Mononuki.”

“The implication would be that Sasha had broken a rule,” Cassidy says. “What rule do you think she broke?”

“It should be obvious to you,” Patrick says. “Think about it for just a few sounds.”

Is it true that Sasha broke a rule? Well...there’s only one I can think of she would have broken...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>The rule about victim limit.

>The rule about harming Mononuki.

>The rule about breaking into rooms.

_... >The rule about breaking into rooms. _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “You think the rule Sasha broke relates to the newest one we got, right? About breaking into locked rooms?”

“That would make the most sense,” Patrick says.

“Does it, though?” Cassidy asks.

“Hm?”

“I think there’s evidence suggesting quite the opposite. There’s no possible way this death was a result of the rules being broken.”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I don’t see what’s wrong with my logic,” Patrick says.

“Yeah, I mean, those rooms were locked before,” Nancy agrees. “She woulda **broken into them** to get in, yeah?”

“Then once she did, the gun would come down and...” Jess frowns and shudders.

“The punishment would ensue, and Sasha would die due to **rule-breaking** ,” Harold finishes for her.

“But you’re all missing something vital,” Cassidy says. “Evidence showing that she **wouldn’t be punished** for what she did.”

There’s evidence suggesting that? Maybe Cassidy is referring to this...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Unlocked Doors**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I yell out.

“I’m glad someone here is keeping up,” Cassidy says.

“Wait, she’s actually right?” Nancy asks. “Man, why does she always get to be right but not me...”

“There’s another room that was unlocked since Sasha died,” I say. “The headmaster’s office. If it’s true that Sasha broke into the security room and was punished for it, shouldn’t she have been killed in the headmaster’s office instead?”

“Maybe someone else opened that door,” Patrick suggests.

“Then why is Sasha the only death?” I press on. “If she hadn’t opened that door, we should have found two bodies!”

“That’s...” Patrick frowns. “...very well. So she managed to enter those rooms in some way that avoided breaking the rules. That would mean someone had to have activated the gun themselves to kill Sasha.”

“So...we’re back to this being a murder...” Jess murmurs.

“We should talk about the elephant in the room then,” Harold says. “What was Sasha doing in the security room in the first place?”

“Right, if they were locked, it’s pretty weird she got in there of all people...” Jess ponders, brows furrowed.

I don’t know if we can figure out how Sasha got into the room just yet, but figuring out the why should be a piece of cake.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“So we know Sasha at least **didn’t break into the room** ,” Jess says.

“Um...uh...” Rick mumbles to himself.

“Was Sasha a **lockpicker**?” Patrick asks.

“Please, she wasn’t anything like that...” Jeremiah murmurs. “Have some respect.”

“Hey, you knew her pretty well, what do you think?” Nancy asks.

“...” Jeremiah was quiet for a moment. “...I can’t say. This seems to have **come out of nowhere.** ”

Came out of nowhere..? That doesn’t sound right.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Sasha’s Sketchbook**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“Ghh--!” Jeremiah practically jumps when I call out to him. “Wh-What..?”

“I don’t know how Sasha got into that room just yet, but we know for a fact it’s predetermined. She had written down a short plan in her sketchbook. The first step of her plan was to see what ‘those locked rooms’ held. She had to be referring to the security room and headmaster’s office. It’s the only an--”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Jeremiah demands, cutting me off.

“Jeremiah..?”

“Sasha...she wouldn’t have done something like this! Not without the rest of us, that is. You’re seriously suggesting that she would conspire all on her own? I call your bluff! There are plenty of other explanations for her sketchpad!”

“That’s not what I--”

“I won’t let you slander her like that, Wayne! Not for a second!”

I understand that talking about Sasha’s death must still be raw and difficult for him, but Jeremiah is standing in the way of the trial! I’ll have to talk him out of this quickly.

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/“ _Sasha wouldn’t have done what you’re trying to accuse her of, Wayne!_ ”/

/“ _You didn’t know her like I did, so I don’t want to hear it from you!_ ”/

/“ _She would have told someone about what she was doing! But_ **_she didn’t_ ** _, did she?!_ ”/

**LOAD Truth Blade: Rick’s Testimony**

“Jeremiah, just stop and listen to me for a second! There is someone that Sasha told about her plan. You should know the answer, too!”

/“ _I do know the answer! Haven’t I made that clear to you?!_ ”/

/“ _That plan doesn’t mean she would act out on it, it could have been for any moment!_ ”/

/“ ** _No one was involved_ ** _in Sasha’s plan because there wasn’t one in the first place!_ ”/

**LOAD Truth Blade: Rick’s Testimony**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I yell.

“N-No!” Jeremiah demands, slamming both hands down on his podium.

“There’s at least one person that was in on Sasha’s plan. But you know that, don’t you, Jeremiah? After all, he came to get everyone himself. Isn’t that right, Rick?”

Rick jumps a bit when I call his name. “U-Um...yeah, uh, I was...I was trying to say so...early...” The luckster squirms uncomfortably in his stand, gently pulling on the strings of his hoodie. “I...I was...Sasha told me about her plan. But...But I didn’t really know everything. I just, um, was there to...watch after her.”

“Wayne, you--!” Jeremiah starts.

“So, you were the only one present with Sasha during the time of death?” Patrick asks.

“H-Hey, I know what you’re trying to imply but...but I didn’t do it!” Rick demands. “I...I was keeping watch in the hall when she went into the security room. And...when the gunshots rang out. I-I couldn’t bear to look inside so...so I ran to get everyone!”

“Is there any way to confirm this is true? For all we know, you could have followed her up to kill her.”

“H-Hey, that’s--”

“Just answer the question, Rick.”

“Um...well...” Rick frowns softly. “I mean...I don’t have proof but...”

Was there proof that Rick was a part of this plan? There is _something_ I can think of.

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Harold’s Testimony

>Rick’s Testimony

>Jeremiah’s Testimony

...> _Harold’s Testimony_

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Harold, you can back up Rick’s claim!”

“...I can?” Harold asks. He frowns, adjusting his glasses. “But I didn’t see Rick tonight. I saw Sasha.”

“When did you see Sash?” Nancy asks.

Harold scowls and crosses his arms. “I-It’s none of your business! I was out of my room, that’s...that’s all. I saw Sasha leaving from her room that night, but I didn’t stick around long enough to see anything else.”

“Are you sure it was Sasha’s room, though?” I ask.

“Hm..?”

“You saw Sasha come out of a room on the right side of the hall. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, that would be correct.”

“...ah, I see,” Cassidy finally says. “That’s what proves it.”

“Wait, I’m confused,” Nancy says.

“You don’t have to state the obvious,” Patrick retorts.

Cassidy sighs gently. “Wayne, please explain to them what it is that proves Rick’s involvement.”

There’s only one thing I can think of that would prove Rick and Sasha were working together. That would be...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Sasha’s room is on the left

>Rick’s room is on the left

>Sasha’s room is on the right

... _> Sasha’s room is on the left _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Sasha’s bedroom isn’t what you saw her exiting from, Harold. Sasha’s room is on the _left_ side of the hall.”

Harold’s brows furrow as he places a hand to his chin. “It...is? But I know for a fact she left from a room on the right side.”

“I don’t doubt that at all,” I say. “After all, Rick has a bedroom on the right side of the hall. If those two were working together, then it makes perfect sense she would leave from his room!”

“Hm...yeah, I don’t see why Ricky would kill Sash if they were workin’ together then,” Nancy says, her head tilted in thought.

“That doesn’t make it impossible...” Patrick says.

“Well...what if somebody knew about their plan?” Jess suggests. “After all, they could just go into hiding and wait for a chance to strike!”

“Rick, did someone else know about your plan?” Cassidy asks.

“H-Huh? Um, no, just...just me and Sasha. After all...”

“...then let’s talk about this possibility.”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I mean it... **Sasha and I** were the ones making the plan...” Rick murmurs.

“I don’t see why Rick would want to lie about that...” Jess admits.

“If this murder is another accomplice...” Nancy growls.

“If no one else was involved with the plan, is there some way they could have **found out otherwise**?” Jeremiah asks.

“Not unless they **stole Sash’s sketchbook**!” Nancy declares.

No...there’s definitely one other way someone could have found out about this plan.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Sasha’s ASL**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I declare.

“Grrrr!” Nancy snarls at me. “Come say that to my face!”

I just did...well, I better not say that out loud. “There wasn’t a lot in Sasha’s sketchbook detailing her plans, so that makes me think she would have discussed them another way. Such as her ASL.”

“Ah, American Sign Language...I’m not very fluent in it,” Jess admits with a sheepish smile. “I’ve worked with a couple deaf children before, but their parents made them practice lip reading. I wanted to learn it so I could teach it to them...”

“That’s the, uh...hand stuff, yeah?” Nancy asks.

Patrick lets out a sigh. “So, I’m guessing the implication Wayne is trying to get across is that someone else here had an understanding of it. Rick is one, and that leaves the other as...”

All eyes turned to Jeremiah, who stood under them with a glare and a scowl. “What..?”

“You understand ASL fairly well, don’t you? I’ve seen you and Sasha communicate in it before. If you’re certain you had nothing to do with this plan, then it would make sense you could learn about it other ways...”

“That’s...” Jeremiah’s scowl worsens. “...I’m going to say this once. Drop the subject. You don’t want to pursue it...”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a plea.”

Something...was definitely wrong here. Jeremiah must have had some knowledge of things. What’s he hiding..?

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“You **don’t want** to pursue this...” Jeremiah warns through gritted teeth.

“Rick, what was Jeremiah’s involvement in all of this?” Patrick asks.

“I-I...I um...that’s...a-ask him...” Rick stammers, shrinking in on himself.

“It’s none,” Jeremiah insists. “It’s....a dead end. That’s why I’m telling you to back off.”

“Maybe...Maybe he’s **telling the truth**..?” Jess suggests.

The truth? As much as I want to believe Jeremiah was being honest...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Order of Rooms**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

Jess lets out a squeak as I shout. “O-Oh, but...why..?’

“I was on patrol tonight and I ended up seeing Jeremiah.”

“That’s right,” Jeremiah says. “You were with me the entire time, so that should clear me of all suspicion.”

“The problem is...you didn’t exit from your bedroom, either.”

Jeremiah’s scowl returns. “Excuse me..?”

“It was Rick’s room you left from, wasn’t it? Your room is on the left, like Sasha, but I know for a fact you left from the right side of the hall.”

“That’s...That’s not...” Jeremiah seemed to be at a loss for words.

“If Jeremiah left from Rick’s room, then...he would have to have been involved in the plan to some extent,” Harold says.

“So it was all three of them?” Patrick asks.

“It would make sense, given how close-knit their group is,” Cassidy explains. “There’d be no reason to suspect the three spending time together or their communications from ASL.”

“You’re all...You’re all making a mistake..!” Jeremiah demands. “If you keep talking about this, then..!”

“Then what?” Patrick asks, a look of disinterest on his face.

“Then we...we’ll all lose our only way out of here!”


	34. Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies - Deadly Life Trial Part II

“Our...only way out of here..?” I ask. “Jeremiah, what are you talking about?”

“Look, it’s...” Jeremiah kept hesitating, like he was afraid to say the wrong thing. “...we have something...that’s going to get us out. That’s what we were going to do. And...And this is all Mononuki’s trap! I know it is!”

Mononuki’s...trap? I think I’m lost.

“Jeremiah, please, take a few deep breaths,” Jess says gently. “You can explain it to us, okay?”

Jeremiah casts a glance to the throne, where the tanuki was fast asleep. “...not with him there.”

“H-He’s right,” Rick finally says. “I’m sorry I was lying, but...but Jeremiah was in on it, too. And...And if Mononuki starts to find things out...”

“You mentioned something about a trap,” Cassidy says. “Would you care to explain what exactly you mean?”

“...yeah...” Jeremiah says solemnly.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“This is all part of **Mononuki’s trap** ,” Jeremiah says. “I know he’s out to get us!”

“P-Please, we don’t want to say anything...” Rick murmurs in agreement. “We could lose the way out...”

“Ugh, all the vague shit’s givin’ me a headache...” Nancy groans. “Why can’t we talk about it?!”

“Mononuki...if he knows, then...then **it’s over**...” Rick says softly.

“ **Mononuki had every reason to kill Sahsa!** ” Jeremiah demands. “That’s what this trap is, I’m sure of it!”

Mononuki killed Sasha..? But why would he want to do that? Unless...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Mononuki’s Missing Item**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I declare loudly.

“Y-You do?” Jeremiah asks.

“Well...maybe not entirely, just yet. But I think there is a way to support it. The only reason I can think of for Mononuki killing anyone...it’d be to get that missing thing back, right?”

“He did almost kill us before ‘cause of it...” Nancy grumbles.

“So...Sasha was the one that stole it?!” Jess asks.

“No...at least, that’s not what she said,” Jeremiah explains.

“Sasha just...found it in her room...” Rick says. “She thinks someone else left it there...but, um, she didn’t want to give it up. No matter what, she...she knew that we needed it...”

“And it would be..?” Harold asks.

“...I-I don’t...want to say...”

“We can’t advance this trial without knowing,” Cassidy says. “Mononuki made many threats, but to actually kill one of us, unprompted? That’s a serious accusation to make. And given his lack of...attention.” She casts a cold glare at the sleeping robot. “...I’d have to say he isn’t very worried about it. But if we understood the severity of this...”

“He’s a robot, he’s not actually asleep!” Jeremiah hisses. “He’s listening right now, and...and that’s why I won’t say it!”

I understand why he might be scared, but we need to know if we want to prove his theory correct. Maybe I can put it together...

[PSYCHE TAXI]

How did this item get to Sasha?

_ >It was left in her room. _

_ >Someone handed it to her. _

_ >She stole it herself. _

... _> It was left in her room. _

Why is the stolen item so important?

_ >It could give us an advantage. _

_ >It’s very valuable and rare. _

_ >It could get someone hurt. _

...> _It could give us an advantage._

What kind of advantage could we get with it?

_ >We could kill Mononuki. _

_ >We could access areas we aren’t meant to. _

_ >We could get away with murder using it. _

... _> We could access areas we aren’t meant to. _

What was the item in question?

_ >A dangerous weapon _

_ >A set of keys _

_ >Secret blackmail _

_... >A set of keys _

“I’ve come to a conclusion!” I declare. “Jeremiah, Rick...the item that Sasha had gotten her hands on was a set of keys, wasn’t it?”

“H-How did you--?” Rick quickly puts his hands over his mouth, eyes wide.

“ _Wayne_...” Jeremiah growls as a warning.

“That helps the pieces fit together,” Harold says. “Sasha wouldn’t be punished for entering those rooms because she didn’t break into them. This could also help us escape, or generally get in Mononuki’s way. He’d be utterly desperate to have this item returned to him.”

“Then...Then why wouldn’t Mononuki just tell us?!” Jess demands.

“The same reason Sasha never turned it in, I imagine,” Cassidy says. “Knowing what was lost, what we could potentially get our hands on...who would ever give that back to him? He probably already knew who had them and was hoping the threats would scare them into giving the keys back.”

“That’s why this is a trap!” Jeremiah demands. “Those threats didn’t work at all, so he had no choice but to take action! This trial is a sham, and the longer we waste positing over it, the more likely it is that it’ll all be for nothing!”

“He has a logical throughline,” Harold admits. “But wouldn’t Mononuki be breaking his own rules with that?”

“Can we even prove it?” Patrick asks. “If Mononuki really is the culprit, in some capacity, there must be some way to tell. A motive isn’t enough.”

“Let’s find out!” Jess says. “I bet there’s something else to point that direction!”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“If Mononuki really is the killer, we at least have an **established motive** ,” Harold says.

“We have a means, too,” Jeremiah insists. “Mononuki said it himself, he has **full control over the weaponry** in this school!”

“Is that enough to say he’s the definite killer, however?” Cassidy asks. “Remember, this is a dire accusation you’re making. If we follow through and it's wrong...”

“I-It’s not wrong!” Rick demands. “Please, just hear us out! There’s still something to consider!”

“What would that be?” Jess asks.

“We have evidence that Mononuki is the killer, but what evidence is there that anyone else did the murder? This is our **one lead**!”

I want to believe that Mononuki did this, and not anyone standing in our room. But there’s something bothering me...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Security System**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I shout out.

“Eek!” Rick pulls on the strings of his hoodie. “No way!”

“Yeah, what are you saying?!” Jeremiah demands.

“The security system,” I say. “Patrick, you remember it, right? You couldn’t get it to work at all.”

“That’s right,” the cosplayer confirms. “I would argue someone sabotaged it. There was coffee all over it. It was most likely short-circuited.”

“What does that have to do with anything, eh?” Nancy asks.

“Why would somebody ruin that system?” I ask. “The only reason I can think of is to hide any tapes that show the killer in action.”

“That would obviously be Mononuki,” Jeremiah says.

“But if Mononuki was the one hiding the footage, why not just delete it? He’d have better control over the system than any of us. It doesn’t make sense that he’d ruin the entire thing!”

“Ah, well...” Jeremiah frowns, searching for an answer by staring at the ground. “...what if he just didn’t have the time?! Rick was right outside the door, he could have--”

“But he didn’t look in, did he? At least, according to him. And if he knows the system well enough, it wouldn’t have taken him long to delete such recent footage.”

“So...So that’s it then? You want to suggest that someone here was the murderer?” Jeremiah spits.

“Well...” I frown softly. Was that really what I was implying? If I rule out the possibility that Mononuki is the killer, that only leaves...

“There is one more option,” Cassidy ponders.

“What would that be?” Jeremiah asks.

“Rick was with Sasha, but never saw the moment of death--according to himself, that is. No one else was seen on the scene of the crime, nor would they have a way to enter the room before Sasha did. And if Mononuki isn’t the killer, that leaves a single suspect.”

Just one suspect, huh? Who is it that Cassidy is implying..?

[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O’Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Watanabe

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

. _.. >Sasha Davis_

“It has to be you!” I call out, pointing an accusing finger at the portrait of Sasha.

“What..?” Jeremiah asks. “Wayne, wh-what are..?”

“That’s the only possibility. If Rick didn’t see anyone with them, and Mononuki didn’t do it, the only possible person that could have done it...was Sasha herself!”

“But...But that doesn’t...” Jeremiah’s eyes look around frantically, not at any of us though. “...why? H-huh? If you...If you want to say something like that, then _why?_ Why would she..?”

That’s...a good question. Sasha was always so bright and bubbly, working hard to keep her friends happy. She came out with a plan to get us out, or at least help us all. But would she really..?

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Why, huh?!” Jeremiah demands with a quivering voice, leaning forward on his podium. “Why would Sasha..?!”

“Could this have been her **real plan?** ” Patrick asks. “End the motive. Trail or not, we don’t have to kill anyone else...”

“But...But to leave that up to chance...” Jess asks. “I mean, she **didn’t leave any clues**...”

“...unless she relied on **Rick’s talent**?” Harold suggests. “That sounds like something she would do, doesn’t it?”

“Maybe you’re all thinking about this the wrong way,” Cassidy says. “Try a different angle.”

“Oh, what, the answer you gave us isn’t good enough?!” Jeremiah demands, ending in a scoff. “You want to say it **wasn’t on purpose** then?”

Wasn’t...on purpose..? Is that..?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Security Weapon Panel**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I call out.

“...what?” Jeremiah asks.

“Cassidy is implying the possibility of an accident.”

“Only if we’re working with the assumption that Rick is being truthful about what he witnessed,” Cassidy says.

“The weapon panel in the security room gives access to all of the defensive weapons around the school,” I say. “But nothing on it says that, and the labeling is pretty unclear for what the buttons do. She could have pressed the button, not realizing what happened, and...”

“She was deaf,” Harold ponders. “Even if the gun made a noise on arrival, there’s no way she would hear it. And with Rick out of the room, no one else is there to warn her. It would have been behind her from the panel, she wouldn’t have seen it come out. She could have run if she did notice it but...” He trails off.

“So...So that’s it?” Jeremiah asks. “She just...died. Because she pressed the wrong _fucking_ button. She died by accident. By...By...”

“...by chance...” Rick says weakly.

Everyone looks to him. He’d been quiet since Cassidy spoke. Since the idea that Sasha’s death wasn’t...

“By chance...” he says again. “By chance, by mistake, by accident, by _luck_ ! It’s all the goddamn same! It’s all...It’s all my fault, huh..? It’s always...” We couldn’t see his face well, but we could hear the sob starting to choke up his voice. “Finding the keys, Jeremiah being caught, Sasha entering alone, pressing that... _fucking_ button! It’s all luck. It’s all I am. Luck...bad, shitty, terrible luck that brings _pain_ and _misery_ for me and everyone around me! Sasha, she just...goddamnit! It’s all my fault!” Rick had broken down into tears by now, his body barely able to hold itself up as he sobbed.

“Rick...” Jess says softly, tears in her eyes.

“...so...is that it then?” Harold asks us with a solemn look. “I’m not superstitious but...ignoring that part, the rest seems to hold together well enough. Sasha enters the room alone, the only key witness not seeing anything or anyone out of the ordinary. Only she could enter the room, and Mononuki...well, he seems unlikely to actually kill us without reason pertaining to the rules. He would have, by now, if he wanted those damn keys. So Sasha enters a room alone, that only she can enter, and presses a button she doesn’t understand. The gun shows up, she doesn’t hear it--she sees it, eventually, but it’s too late. Coffee could have spilled in a panic or when the gunfire struck the wall. She dies, Rick hears it, and runs to get help.”

“...that’s...” Jeremiah frowns with tight, thin lips. “...that’s meaningless. That’s...That’s a meaningless death. I can’t...I can’t accept that. I just...”

“...well, that’s only theory one,” Cassidy says. “After all, it’s working with the assumption that Rick is telling the truth.”

“Y’know, I don’t follow along great with all this trial crap,” Nancy admits, her arms crossed. “But I’m pretty sure you were the one that told us this was the answer.”

“I’ll repeat myself,” Cassidy says, eyes down on her notepad. “That is the theory that holds the most water _if_ Rick is telling the truth. But we can’t prove that, can we? No further witnesses, the security system is ruined so no tape to review, Mononuki won’t tell us anything. All we have is Rick’s word. And if Rick is lying...”

“...then the whole theory falls through,” Patrick says. “And then we have a new problem. Rick’s lie, and why he told it. And I can only think of one answer.”

“What...What are you saying..?” Rick says softly, the tears still falling down his face. “I...I wouldn’t...I wouldn’t kill Sasha! She was my best friend, I...I wouldn’t...”

“You really are...a goddamn riot tonight...” Jeremiah says, a cruel grin on his face. But only for a moment, before it turns into a scowl. “Everything out of your mouth is the best joke I’ve ever heard, Cassidy! But the joke...is... _over_! Rick wouldn’t do it. End. Of. Story.”

“I can’t accept this...” Jess says softly. “This death, this murder, I just...I just can’t keep accepting it. If it’s Mononuki, or if it’s an accident, then...then I’ll accept those answers a thousand times over! If there’s any answer besides all this distrust and anger, then I’ll always accept it!”

“ **_Rick’s (I’m) not the killer!_ **” they all yell in unison.

I know what I want to believe. That Rick is telling the truth, and this death won’t result in another. That maybe the killing can end, for one day, one trial. But what the answer is...

[FRACTURED DEBATE]

“There has to be something,” Jess says. “Some answer out there that can stop this trial before someone else has to die!”

“Jessica, the world isn’t this fantastical place like those fairytales you read children,” Harold says.

“...but it can be Mononuki, right? What if he **broke the rules**?” Nancy asks.

...

“Your joke is over,” Jeremiah hisses. “You’re not this beacon of knowledge!”

“I’m not,” Cassidy agrees. “I follow the **truth** and **evidence.** ”

“Then the evidence is **wrong**!”

...

“I-I’m not lying...” Rick whimpers. “Why...Why would I..?”

“Because you’re the killer,” Patrick says plainly. “Why else you would lie?”

“But it’s the truth!” Rick demands louder. “There was **no one else in that room**!”

No one else...no one else...was there...really no one else..?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Blood Trail**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“A-Aaah!” Rick lets out a short scream at my voice.

“There...was someone else in the room,” I say. “There has to be...because of that trail of blood. It started at the weapon panel and went all the way out into the hall. Someone left from that room with an injury.”

“I said this joke was over!” Jeremiah demands suddenly.

“What?” He can’t seriously be trying to do this again, can he..?

“You two...won’t keep doing this. I won’t let you be the writer of this story. I know the truth, dammit! So back down already! There’s no way someone was in that room, and there’s no way they got hurt!”

Damnit, Jeremiah. I don’t want to think that it’s anyone else, either, but...but if we’re wrong then...

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“I won’t hear a damn word of it anymore, Wayne! Back down!”_ /

/ _“There was no one else in the room! Rick said so, so that’s the truth!”_ /

/ _“There’s nothing in that room that could hurt someone besides that gun, and_ **_all the bullets_ ** _hit Sasha!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Broken Security Screen**

“Jeremiah, that’s not true! There was a stray bullet, one that struck something else. And if someone else is in the room, then that’s how they got hurt!”

[ADVANCE]

/ _“Even so...it’s still not enough! I won’t...I won’t believe this answer!”_ /

/ _“That blood could be Sasha’s! She tried to run and she couldn’t! It splashes everyone, hits everything, leaks into the hall!”_ /

/ _“_ **_Every bullet_ ** _struck her at the door and she died! That’s it!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Broken Security Screen**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I shout.

“Y-You...but..!” Jeremiah tries to say.

“Jeremiah, you didn’t enter the room, did you?”

“I...I didn’t need to. I saw everything from the door, I...I saw it...”

“You saw Sasha. But if you’d looked farther into the room, you’d have seen the broken security screen. I thought it was weird that one of them had shattered when the system was already ruined...but what if it wasn’t broken on purpose?”

“Whaddya mean?” Nancy asks. “‘Nother accident? But I thought the guns only shot at people.”

“They do,” I say. “But there’s still one other answer...” One way the bullet would be able to hit the screen and, at the same time, another person.

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

R______t

R_c_ch_et

_Ricochet_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I declare. “All it would take is one bullet ricocheting off that wall, flying towards the screen and whoever was standing there at the time.”

“That screen was next to the weapon panel,” Patrick ponders. “So, it’s likely that someone could have been struck with the bullet--or even just grazed--should they have been standing next to it.”

“The blood on that panel is proof someone was struck there,” Harold says. “Then it trails out of the room as they flee.”

“So someone was there,” I say. “Someone else _had_ to be there. And...that person...”

“Wayne, please...don’t...” Jess says weakly. “I can’t...n-not again. Please, there has to be another answer...”

“I-I’m not the killer...” Rick whimpers. “I swear to god, I didn’t...I wouldn’t...”

“Wayne...” Cassidy says, gently. “You know what to do.”

I know what to do, huh? I do. I know what to do. As much as I don’t want to. As much as it pains me. I know...the answer...

[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O’Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Watanabe

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

“The killer is...you!”


	35. Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies - Deadly Life Trial Part III

I point an accusing finger at the only person that could be the killer...

_ >Rick Dallas _

“H...Huh..?” Rick whimpers, starting to shake. “W-Wayne, what...what are you..?”

“You’re the only possibility, Rick. Someone had to be in that room, which means you’re lying about your testimony. And if no one else was around at the time of death, then only you could do it.”

“Th-That’s...That’s not...” Rick was at a loss for words, struggling to think of something to say.

“You’re taking us off track,” Jeremiah hisses. “I...I’ll concede that someone had to be in that room...but that doesn’t mean it was Rick!”

“Jeremiah, this desperate act is getting tiresome,” Patrick sighs.

“Desperate, huh? At least I’m not a sociopathic bastard like you are, Patrick! I have friends, people willing to take my side, and I’m going to do the same for them. So shut your trap, because I’m not ready to give up!”

Patrick scowls, bearing his teeth a little as he glowers at Jeremiah. “...fine. Wayne can handle this. Just don’t get us killed.”

Oh, great, _I_ can handle this...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“There had to be someone else in that room!” Jeremiah says. “Someone **Rick missed** because he ran off!”

“But **no one else** could even get in there,” Nancy says. “I mean, like, ‘m pretty sure. ‘S what you guys’ve been sayin’.”

“Sasha was the **one with the keys** , and that door was locked since we found it,” Harold explains. “We couldn’t exactly force our way in.”

“Then how could anyone else be there? I mean, ‘less they were there the **whole time ‘r somethin’.** ”

“Th-That has to be it!” Jeremiah demands. “The person who was there...it must be **someone in charge of this game!** ”

Someone in charge of the game..? That doesn’t seem like the right answer. I don’t think anyone was in that room before Sasha!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Rick’s Testimony**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“S...Stop...saying that..!” Jeremiah demands through gritted teeth.

“If Rick is telling the truth, his testimony should have looked a little different if Sasha was in that room with someone else. He would have heard or seen something that way, right? You really think Sasha would just enter a room with someone in it and Rick would never know? He was there to protect her, according to him.”

“Th...Then...Then...” Jeremiah slams his fist down on the podium. Then he does it again. And again. “Then I don’t know! But I know what the truth is! I know there’s meaning to this death, and it’s going to move us all forward!”

“I...I don’t know, maybe there was someone in there...” Rick says hesitantly. “I-I was...in shock, I don’t remember, I...I...p-please, just...just give me a moment...”

“That’s fine,” Cassidy says. “Take your time, Rick. I want to talk about something else anyway, to clear up what was happening at the moment anyway.”

“What would that be?” Patrick asks, leaning on his podium.

“We’ve discussed Sasha entering that security room for quite some time. But we haven’t talked about what she did before then. The headmaster’s office was unlocked as well.”

“Oh, well...she could have been looking for clues,” Jess says.

“She could have been doing any number of things,” Harold corrects. “Is it important to the case what that was?”

“Well, that’s why I want to talk about it,” Cassidy explains. “If it is, we’ll find out what.”

It’s not like Cassidy to bring up something that seemed so irrelevant to the topic at hand. There must be some reason she wants to talk about the headmaster’s office.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“The headmaster’s office was the **first room unlocked** ,” Cassidy says. “So Sasha must have done something in there.”

“Wait, how do you know that’s where they went first?” Harold asks. “The killer could have gone in after Sasha died.”

“Not likely. Wayne got up there with the **halls empty** , and he fled **not long after** hearing the gunfire. The rest of us got to the fourth floor as a group. The killer wouldn’t have time.”

“Okay, so Sash did go in there,” Nancy says. “But c’mon, it’s pretty obvious what she was doin’! She had to be **looking for clues**!”

For clues..? Maybe she was, but there was something else she did in there that would be important.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Burnt Blackmail**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“Yeah, ‘course it is...” Nancy grumbles, huffing through her nose.

“Well, it might not be,” I try to assure. “But...I think what’s most important is what we can prove she was doing. She’d burnt the blackmail Mononuki had presented us in the trash can, probably using the lighter on the desk.”

“She...She did that..?” Jess asks softly. She looks down, frowning sadly. “Sasha...”

“...so what?” Jeremiah asks. “She burned all the blackmail. Doesn’t that give all of us less of a reason to kill her? What are you--”

“...all of them?” Cassidy asks. “I don’t recall anyone saying that.”

“What...What do you mean?”

Ah, that’s it! That’s what Cassidy was getting at. There was still one piece of blackmail not burnt in the trashcan. It was...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>My Blackmail

>Rick’s Blackmail

>Patrick’s Blackmail

_... >Rick’s Blackmail _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Rick...your blackmail was the only one not burnt in the trash can. I found it in another drawer.”

“U...Uh...” Rick was pulling hard on the strings of his hoodie. “I...I didn’t...know that...”

“I’ve been thinking,” Patrick says. “We know you’ve been lying before--about Jeremiah’s involvement of the plan, how much Sasha told you, whether Sasha was alone in that room or not. And now you want us to believe that other part of your testimony? That you never followed Sasha into those rooms, and you didn’t know about the blackmail. At this point, it seems like all you’re doing is lying. It would be safer for all of us to assume you did know, and you did follow her into those rooms.”

“H-Hey, that’s...” Rick trails off again. He’s still struggling to come up with arguments and excuses. His eyes flicker to Jeremiah, as if expecting him to step in again.

“...Rick, is that true?” Jeremiah asks. “That blackmail...did you know yours wasn’t burnt?”

“H-huh..? Jeremiah, I...”

“That sounds like you, doesn’t it? You’d notice your blackmail wasn’t with the rest, for whatever reason. Your mind would wander to the worst-case scenario--that being, Mononuki has it, or that he already revealed it to the world. You wouldn’t even think to check, just assume and brood in the worst possible option until...”

“...so...you don’t believe me...anymore..?” Rick asks slowly.

Jeremiah is quiet, eyes elsewhere with a grimace on his face. “You have a motive...that’s...all I’m saying.”

Rick looks away, too, a soft frown on his face. “...f-fine...I know what I want to say now anyway. I...I’m going to prove that I didn’t do this! I hope...”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“There’s...There’s proof that it can’t be me...” Rick says.

“Isn’t all the stuff we’re talking about just makin’ ya more suspicious?” Nancy asks.

“B-but I have evidence! We all got to this point because of the **blood trail** , right..?”

“It was a lot of blood,” Harold says. “Someone was wounded rather badly, from the way it seemed. We decided that a **bullet had struck** them, though.”

“Exactly!” Rick demands. “Someone got struck with a bullet, but that can’t be me! I’d had to have gone to the **nurse’s office** with a wound like that!”

“But that doesn’t leave any suspects. Someone would still have the **bullet in them** , right..?” Jess asks.

Would someone have the bullet in them? I don’t think that’s quite right...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Broken Security Screen**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I shout out.

“A-Ah...” Jess shrinks back a little. “Then...Then what..?”

“That bullet wouldn’t be in anyone,” I say. “After all, the reason we know the bullet ricocheted in the first place was because of that broken security screen!”

“Then what about being grazed?” Nancy asks. “Bullet whizzes by, slices their arm ‘r shoulder open ‘r somethin’!”

“With that much blood? I don’t think simply being grazed would cause enough to trail out of the room,” Patrick comments.

“Y-Yeah, so...so there’s something else!” Rick says. “There has to be!”

There...has to be, huh? But...no, wait, it is possible. Because of that thing Rick told us about...

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

___o_____a

Hemo___l_a

_Hemophilia_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I say. “There is one way that amount of blood could be caused by getting grazed with a bullet. Someone would have to have hemophilia!”

“Hemophilia..?” Nancy asks. “Eh...sounds familiar...is’at a fetish thing?”

“Why...would you even ask that..?” Patrick asks.

“It’s a blood condition that causes blood not to clot,” Harold explains. “So, while most people would have blood slow and stop as it clots and scabs, a person with hemophilia would continue to bleed until the wound was manually closed. And...if I recall, Rick mentioned before that he has such a condition.”

“Oh, well, that’s...um...” Rick was back to fumbling over his words and struggling to make a defense.

“Hold on!” Jess says quickly. “We’re...We’re still missing something! That blood trail, doesn’t it stop in the hallway? Rick would have kept bleeding, according to what you just said!”

“Y-yeah, exactly!” Rick demands. “So...So...So it has to be someone else! Maybe they just got grazed badly, and that’s why there was so much blood!”

Jess...she really doesn’t want it to be Rick. I don’t want it to be Rick, either, but every single excuse he comes up with just has another hole to this one. And I’m afraid this won’t be different...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I would have bled **all the way to the elevator** if I was really the one that got shot!” Rick demands.

“Well...it is possible the wound was simply rather bad...” Harold concedes. “The bullet just **couldn’t have been in the killer** , so there’s nothing saying it never left a large wound.”

“Right! The killer would just need to make sure they cleaned it up and put on a new shirt!” Jess demands. “There’s **plenty of time** to get that done before getting everyone!”

“You know, unless it’s Mononuki,” Nancy adds.

“That is,” Cassidy interjects, “unless Rick had **some way** to close the wound on his way down the hall.”

Normally, someone would have to get to the nurse’s office if they wanted to deal with a wound. But there’s an exception to that...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Gauze**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I yell.

“Good, then we’re getting closer to the end,” Cassidy says.

“I found some gauze caught on the elevator doors, most likely ripped off in the killer’s rush. They had to have closed the wound on their way down the hall, knowing the bleeding would be incriminating.”

“But wouldn’t someone have to go to the nurse’s office for that?” Jess asks quickly. “I mean, the killer couldn’t possibly predict--”

“They could have,” I say. “After all...one person here is always prepared for the worst case scenario, to a point that they always have medical supplies on hand. Right, Rick?”

“I-I...I mean...that doesn’t mean it’s me,” Rick manages to say. “Anyone...Anyone could...”

“There’s somethin’ I’m tryin’ t’ figure out,” Nancy says before Rick could form a sentence.

“Oh, good, because that’s what we need right now...” Patrick grumbles.

“Cram it, bub, or I’ll vote for your ass instead!” the boxer snarls back. “Look, ‘m just thinkin’, if Ricky’s been lyin’ since the start about all’a this, why not just say the junk he saw? Seems less suspicious t’ say he was with Sash the whole time instead’a stinadin’ around, y’know?”

This doesn’t seem too important, but I don’t want to leave Nancy in the dark. I better hurry up and think of an answer to this before Patrick does because we might get another fight to happen if I don’t. What reason does Rick have to make up a testimony?

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Monofile #4

>Rick’s Blackmail

>Sasha’s Plan

_... >Monofile #4 _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “The only reason Rick would have to lie about his testimony is because...he was the real killer. And we would have figured that out a lot sooner just by looking at the Monofile.”

“Eh? What’d that gotta do with it?” Nancy asks.

“According to the file, the first people to find Sasha’s body were me, Jeremiah, and Harold. Rick even made a point to include in his testimony that he _never_ looked in that room. Because if he had, we would have realized the fatal flaw of his words. Which leads me to something...I want to ask Mononuki a question.”

The tanuki perks up at my words with a weary yawn when I call his name. “Hm..? You rang..?”

“Mononuki, is it possible for the killer of a case to discover a body?”

“Mm...” Mononuki scratches his ear. “...no, I wouldn’t include the killer’s name unless there’s very special conditions. Like...say someone else moved the body around and the killer found it later? That’d be like a discovery...but you can’t really discover something you already knew was there...so, uh, I wouldn’t count it...”

“So if Rick had told us he followed Sasha into the room, then he would have had to tell us he saw Sasha’s body,” Harold ponders. “But according to what Mononuki just told us, he wouldn’t appear as one of the people finding the body.”

“Which means, we would have immediately found him out as the killer,” I finish. “That’s why Rick would have to tell a lie, even if it seemed more suspicious. The alternative was being caught from the very start!”

“I...I um...” Rick swallows dryly. “...Jeremiah, h-help...”

“...” Jeremiah is silent for several long moments, arms crossed. “...help yourself, Rick. I’m done.”

“H...Huh..? but...but Jeremiah, you said before that--”

“I help my friends,” Jeremiah cuts him off. “And right now...I don’t see any reason to call you my friend. If you really did it, if you killed Sasha...then I have no reason to help you now. Fight your own battles, Rick, and prove you didn’t do it...or give up.”

Rick looks to Jess next, opening his mouth to speak.

“I’m sorry...” Jess says gently before Rick could say anything. “I...I don’t know what else to say, Rick...”

“...” Rick looks down silently. “...so...I’m all on my own, huh..? I guess...I guess I should have seen this coming...”

“So you have anything else to say?” Patrick asks. “You’ve done an awful job of defending yourself so far, and you've run out of mouthpieces to talk through.”

“We’re at the end, I think...” Rick says softly. He looks up again, and that look in his eyes sends a sharp shiver down my spine. It was familiar. That cold, empty gaze he held. Like no warmth or light existed beyond the shadow of that hood. “We’re at that part of the trial, right, Wayne..?”

“What...What part of the trial..?” I ask hesitantly.

“The part where I lose my mind, trying to defend myself, and you shoot me down...that’s where we’re at now, huh?”

“I...I don’t...” I shake my head a little. What was he saying..?

“...” Rick slams both of his hands down on the podium, that familiar panic washing over his face again. “I didn’t do it! Alright?! I didn’t do it! Sasha was my best friend, I’d never kill her! And everything you’ve all said, the way you’ve constructed this whole trial...it’s just impossible for any person to ever pull off!”

Is this what he meant? He’s finally defending himself, but it didn’t even sound like he really believed it. Even so...I have to put an end to this trial, and finally discover the truth of it all!

[PANIC TALK ACTION]

_“There’s no way any normal person could pull off a murder like this! It’s just not possible!”_

“Rick, I don’t know what you’re doing...”

_“Come on, it can’t be me! I’d never do this! Please, just leave me alone!”_

“But I won’t let you put everyone in danger like this!”

_“I’m no killer! It’s just not possible! I couldn’t have done this!”_

“I know exactly how you pulled off a murder like this!”

**Ster Luck Mate Ulti**

**Ulti Mate Ster Luck**

_**Ultimate Luckster** _

“THIS TRIAL ENDS HERE!”

Rick pulls down hard on the strings of his hoodie as he lets out a devastating wail. “ ** _AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHH!_ **’

**[BREAK!]**

“Rick, there is only one possible way you could have pulled this off...the only way anyone could have pulled it off! You just had to rely on your talent as the Ultimate Luckster to make all these pieces fall into place!”

“M...My...talent...” Rick murmurs, dumbfounded.

“I still don’t believe in this superstitious nonsense,” Harold says. “...but...that seems like the only thing that would make this fit together.”

“Then...Then Rick...you really..?” Jess murmurs. “I...I was hoping...that...”

“...I...I uh...j-just give me a second, I...I can...explain...” Rick murmurs.

“I’ll do the explaining,” I say. “In fact, I’ll expalin this entire murder, so that no doubt remains!”

[CLOSING ARGUMENT]

“This murder starts not too long after the last. Someone managed to steal an important item from Mononuki--a ring of keys, meant to open almost any door around the school. It wouldn’t be long before the keys would be noticed missing and the threats would come out with the attempted murder and the blackmail motive. The thief had to make sure the heat wouldn’t be on them, and what better way than to dump the evidence of their crime onto someone else?

“It was Sasha that got these keys. It was easy to slip into her room and leave them with her since she would be the one person that wouldn’t be able to notice such a thing. This was likely the night the keys were stolen and the thief knew they would be hunted down by Mononuki for it. It wasn’t too hard to tell what the keys were, and even someone as nice as Sasha would never give them up. But she wouldn’t keep them secret, either.

“She told her two closest friends about the keys--Jeremiah and the killer. Able to talk anywhere using ASL and no one finding it odd that the three of them would stick together, they had no issues keeping in contact and devising a plan. A plan that would, unfortunately, lead to the death of Sasha. It was meant to happen the night after the blackmailing. The three were in Rick’s room that night and would go off after the nighttime attendance and investigate the locked rooms on the top floors for any kind of clues or evidence that might help them. But there was a snag--namely, me.

“I was on patrol that night in place of Cassidy, so I was in the dorm hall at the time the three wanted to leave. Not knowing if I could be trusted or if I would tell someone else, such as Cass, they had to distract me. Jeremiah was the one that took that job, making me follow him around under the guise of him taking a late-night stroll. I hadn’t realized at the time that Jeremiah had both come and gone from the killer’s bedroom rather than his own, but there was enough time that I was missing from my post for Sasha and the killer to slip to the fourth floor. However, by a stroke of luck, Harold had been out of his room at the time as well and managed to spot Sasha leaving from the killer’s room.

“On the fourth floor, the first thing the two did was break into the headmaster’s office. They found the blackmail folders and burnt them to ash inside of a trash can using a lighter found on the desk. However, the killer had noticed something--their folder was missing. If not with that stack, the very next conclusion this person would have is that Mononuki still had it, or that it had already been released. They never realized it had merely been misplaced in a stroke of bad luck.

“Going to the security room next, there was footage of everything on the cameras as well as controls for many things around the school, such as the defensive mechanisms. Sasha didn’t realize it, but the killer had acted in a moment of desperation and pressed a button at random. And with perfect luck, that button revealed the gatling gun that would end Sasha’s life. But not without repercussion. A stray bullet would graze the killer, causing them to begin bleeding profusely due to their hemophilia. They quickly sabotage the security system by splashing coffee onto it that had been left out so we couldn’t review the footage before they escaped, patching up their wound on the way.

“Worried the gun might have alerted someone, and not wanting to meet them on the stairs, the killer took the elevator down to the first floor instead. This worked well in their favor since I had gone to the fourth floor. The killer had to stop by their room for a change of clothes before facing anyone else, or they would be suspicious. Then they went to get Jeremiah and the others and bring them to the fourth floor to find the body. They were hoping it would all be under the guise of the incident being a total accident, brought on by their luck, or an act of desperation from Mononuki. The only person who could pull off such a murder...was you! Rick Dallas, the Ultimate Luckster!”

“I...I uh...l-look, I...I’m being framed! That’s it, I...I’m being framed! Please, just...just wait and...”

“Take off your hoodie,” Jeremiah demands.

“...h-huh?”

“I won’t repeat myself, Rick. if you’re not the killer, then there won’t be any bandaging or fresh wounds on you. So take off the _fucking_ hoodie.”

Rick looks away, biting his lower lip gently as his hands grip onto the fabric of his hoodie. “That’s...That’s not...necessary...”

“...let’s vote. I’m ready.”

“Oh, we’re voting..?” Mononuki asks. He sits up with a yawn and a stretch. “Mm...okay, okay, I’m ready...you all know the gist. Vote for you think it is, and I tally it all up...”

[VOTE FOR THE KILLER]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O’Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Watanabe

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

_... >Rick Dallas _

“Mmmyep. The murderer of Sasha Davis, the Ultimate Online Artist...was her best friend, Rick Dallas, the Ultimate Luckster!”

So we were right. And yet, I don’t feel good about this at all...

“...I...I’m sor--” Rick begins.

“Shut your goddamn mouth!” Jeremiah snaps.

Rick squeaks and shrinks back. “J-J-J--”

“I said shut it!” he repeats. “I don’t want to hear another word out of you, unless it’s begging for goddamn mercy when you die!”

“J-Jeremiah, let’s just calm down..!” Jess says quickly.

“Calm down? You want me to fucking calm down?! Sasha’s _dead_! And Rick can make up whatever fucking excuses he wants! He can blame luck, chance, god, his miserable existence--he can spew whatever meaningless bullshit he wants to! He still killed her! It was him, it was him this whole time and he...he made me believe...”

“He didn’t make you believe anything,” Patrick says. “You formed your own delusional answers because you couldn’t accept the reality in front of you.”

“Shut... _up_ ,” Jeremiah hisses.

“...I’m sorry...” Rick says weakly. His hood was over his face, but the tears streaming down his cheeks were still clear as day. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I...I just...m-my parents...”

“Your...Your parents..?” Jess asks hesitantly.

“He...He was going to...have them arrested. He was going to...to make an abuse case. Tell everyone they left all my scars and made me believe it was luck. My mom and dad...they’re...all I have...I couldn’t let that happen to them! If I left here...and they were in jail...I-I couldn’t go on. I’d...I’d rather die than let that happen..!” Rick chokes back a few sobs. “I didn’t see the file when she burned them...and...and all I could think was... _what if he already sent mine out?_ A-And...And it was _all_ I could think about, and then we entered that room and...and I just pressed the button and...the gun...it...”

“You _murdered_ her!” Jeremiah demands. “Say it, Rick! Just say it!”

Rick didn’t say it, though. He didn’t say anything as he cried. But it still held heavy in the air as if he had said it.

“Well...if you’re all done here,” Mononuki yawns, “I’d like to get onto the punishment!”

“P-Please...” Rick whimpers. “Please...don’t...someone, help me...”

“I’ve prepared a very special punishment for Rick Dallas, the Ultimate Luckster.”

“...I told you before,” Jeremiah says. “Help yourself. Rely on your damn luck to get you out of this.”

“So let’s give it everything we’ve got...” The button rises before Mononuki, his tail wrapped around a mallet. “It’s...PUNISHMENT TIIIIIME!”

“SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! SAAAAAAAVE MEEEEEE!” Rick screams out at the top of his lungs. But his luck had finally run out.

The doors in the room open and a chain flies out, clamping down on Rick’s neck. He’s dragged right out of the room, his wail slowly dying out as he disappeared from sight.

**Rick Dallas has been found guilty!**

**Commencing the punishment...**

Rick was strapped down to a large wheel painted like a target in white and black. Metal clamps around his wrists and ankles kept him stuck in place. The wheel sat in a large game booth, with the title _Are You Luckier Than the Ultimate Luckster?_ hanging above it. A musical cue plays, lights flaring to life around the wheel as it starts to spin slowly.

Mononuki takes center stage on the other side of the booth, a box dropping in front of him. He opens it to reveal ten shining blades. He lifts one up, Rick’s eyes widening in panic as the spinning begins to go faster. Mononuki squints and sticks his tongue out, taking aim for a few seconds before throwing the knife right at Rick.

**Lucky Shot, One-in-a-Million Chance!**

The knife hits the wheel handle first, flying to the floor with a clatter. The wheel was moving faster, making it harder to clearly view Rick as he spins around. Another knife soars through the air, striking the wheel with a heavy thunk between Rick’s legs. He could be seen struggling against his restraints for a few moments before he starts moving too fast to make out.

Another knife flies, bouncing off the wheel and striking next to a large red button on the floor. The next knife strikes the board again, accompanied by Rick’s screaming and a stream of blood beginning to spray around as the wheel spins. The next knife strikes as well, but without accompanied blood.

The next three knives all bounce off of the board and land around the booth. The eighth knife hits the board. The ninth strikes the board, but bounces off and stabs into the button on the floor. A few sparks begin to fly and the music cue plays again.

Rick was spinning so fast that it was impossible to see him as anything other than a black blue on the spinning wheel. So it was impossible to see the restraints holding him down when they suddenly unlocked, one at a time, Rick to start flying off of it. When the last restraint unlocks, the circular motion of the wheel causes Rick to be sent flying into the ceiling with a loud shriek. There’s crashing and sparking before Rick finally falls back down.

Rick stops with a gasp, his feet still several inches off the ground. Several wires that had been in the ceiling dangled around him, but one in particular had wrapped itself around his neck. He gasps and struggles, clawing at his throat and tugging on the wire as it tightens around his throat. He moves for several moments, until his body starts to slow down and his arms slump to the side.

The final knife flies forward, striking Rick in the forehead with a wet thunk. His eyes widen, blood gushing down his face and staining it red. His body shudders once before his head falls forward, the light leaving his eyes as he finally goes limp.

**RICK DALLAS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED!**

That was it...another execution. Another horrible, disgusting, bloody execution that resulted in someone dying.

“...I...I can’t...” Jess says weakly as she cries. “I can’t keep doing this...I’m not...strong enough...to watch this happen again...”

“There’s only seven of us left...” Harold says softly. “Seven...that’s it...”

“Maybe...Giff was right...” Nancy grumbles. “We’re all just gonna fuckin’ die here...”

“Well, it’s super late, everyone...” Mononuki says with a yawn. “Let’s all get to bed, now that that mess is over with...”

“...that’s it..?” Jess murmurs. “After all that, you’re just gonna send us to bed..?”

“Um...is there something else I’m supposed to do..?”

“You could try explaining things to us,” Cassidy says. “For instance, who stole the keys.”

“Oh..? Um, well...it doesn’t matter too much now. I knew who had it the whole time, as well as who stole them--and it’ll be dealt with soon!”

“So...you did know.’ Cassidy begins writing in her notepad.

“Sure did...but I have the keys back now, so...all is well.”

“You...You have them..?” Jeremiah asks weakly.

“Uh hum. Got them off of the body while you were all busy. Thanks to Rick, anyway.”

“...” Jeremiah grits his teeth and storms off to the elevator. Jess quickly follows after him. The rest of us slowly trickle in, too. What else was there to say..? It...sounds like we lost...

The elevator doors close and it begins to take us back up. We were all quiet. Jeremiah stood by, shaking and seething, until he finally slammed his fist into the elevator door. He does it over and over and over again, until his knuckles were bleeding.

“J-Jeremiah, please...” Jess whimpers.

“Their deaths...were meaningless...” Jeremiah says softly. “If Rick had just...FUCK!” He slams his fist into the elevator door again before sliding down to his knees. They open soon after.

I walk over quickly, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder, but he quickly smacks me away and stumbles to his feet. “Don’t touch me! I don’t need your damn pity and condolences!” He turns to face us all. “I’m going to figure out what’s going on in this place. None of you get to stop me! Not Mononuki, not Cassidy, not whoever is in charge here. _I’m_ finding the answers, _I’m_ ending this goddamn story, and _I’m_ getting us out! All of you are going to stay back and shut up until I’m done!”

Jeremiah turns again and storms off, presumably back to his room. The rest of us waited until he was gone to make our way back to the dorm, the silence in the air hanging heavily. There was nothing we could do right now to help or stop Jeremiah. We were all too busy trying to pick ourselves back up after that.

There was no stakeout tonight. Cassidy retired to her room, and I did the same, utterly exhausted. I collapse into bed and pass out into a restless sleep. If only I knew what we had in store for us...

**Chapter 4: Built on a Bed of Lies - END!**

**Remaining students: 7/16**

****


	36. Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish - Daily Life Part I

**Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish [Daily Life - START]**

I was swimming in and out of sleep for most of the night. I couldn’t tell how much time would pass between each moment of me opening my eyes the next time it happened. My room was dark every time, my eyes not getting the time to adjust before they’d close again and I’d drift off for a little bit longer.

I’d open my eyes again and see my door was open. Then they’d close.

I’d open them again to see a figure in my room, hard to make out in the darkness. Then they’d close.

I’d open them once more to see my room was empty, the door closed, just as I left it. Then they’d close.

I finally stir awake to the vague sound of Mononuki speaking. I didn’t quite make it out, lost somewhere between sudden alertness and total exhaustion. I push myself up and rub my face slowly. “Weird dream last night...” A cold shower should help me feel a little better.

After a quick shower to jolt myself awake, I make my way out of the room and head to the cafeteria. I wasn’t sure how many people were going to be showing up to Cassidy’s attendance anymore, but it was something to do, so I still planned to go.

When I entered the room, I could almost feel the hostility in the air. There was a big discussion going on, it seems, and it wasn’t a pleasant one.

“We just want to know what your talent is,” Jeremiah demands, standing far too close to Cassidy. “After all, what do you have to hide from the rest of us?”

“It’s none of your business,” Cassidy replies coolly. “I suggest you take your seat.”

“Why? Afraid I’m going to look at those notes you’re always recording?”

“I’d be interested in knowing your talent, too,” Patrick says. “It’d be peculiar if you didn’t have one. Mononuki said before that he’s willing to go along with whatever he considers ‘public information’ for what he freely hands us about each other. Your talent doesn’t seem to fall into that range.”

“Because I haven’t told anybody. And I don’t have to,” Cassidy explains.

“You’ve been hiding things from us since the very start!” Jeremiah demands. “All I want is some answers. What are you hiding from us, Cassidy? Hm?”

“Jeremiah, _please_ , just leave her alone,” Jess begs.

“Not until she tells us what she knows!”

“Why don’t you try interrogating Wayne?” Patrick asks. “He should know, I”m sure Cassidy’s let him in on something at this point.”

All eyes turn to me now and I take a small step back. Crap, this isn’t going to be good.

“Wayne,” Jeremiah says with a dark tone, “what do you know that Cassidy won’t tell us?”

“I...” I look at Cassidy, who was staring me down with a steely gaze. This is the one thing I was worried about happening ever since I started keeping secrets for Cassidy. There’s no way I could hold on under pressure like this!

“ _Wayne_.” The way Jeremiah said my name was clearly a threat.

“...I don’t know much,” I admit hesitantly. “All I know is...that Cassidy has reason to believe this is the real Sterling Heights Academy. And...that some kind of group might be responsible for this-- _testing_ us, maybe.”

“That...That can’t be right!” Jess demands. “I mean, I know we almost considered it before, but...but this can’t really be Sterling Heights Academy!”

“You mentioned a test?” Harold asks. “What...kind of test?”

“I...I’m not sure, myself. It...sounded like this killing game is meant to test us. Something about...weeding out the ones that deserve to be part of the ‘new world’ or something...”

“A terrorist organization?” Jeremiah presses. “And you wanted to _hide_ this from us?!”

“I-I didn’t--” I try to say.

“You and Cassidy have been hiding this from us the whole time. Who knows what else they’re hiding?!” Jeremiah looks at the others, pointing an accusing finger at me. “And all want to listen to this bastard?! He’s the reason we don’t know anything, the reason Sasha and Rick decided to sacrifice themselves for information!”

“If you want to accuse people of hiding things, I think you should answer for yourself first,” Cassidy says.

“What are you talking about?” Jeremiah shoots back.

“I found it strange that Sasha would conspire behind everyone’s backs with those keys she had. It didn’t seem very in character for Rick to hide information like that, either.” Cassidy gently taps her notepad with her pen in thought, casting a glance up to Jeremiah. “You, however, seem like the type to handle all of that. It makes me wonder...what right do you have to stand here and criticize me for how I’ve handled my investigations when you did the same thing the night before?”

“That...That’s not...the same...” Jeremiah tries to say.

“You know, if anyone here is responsible for the death of those two, it’d be the one who made them run up there alone, knowing about Rick’s emotional instability and reactionary behaviors, without making sure a third party was present to intervene,” Patrick comments, looking down at his breakfast as he speaks.

“Y-You...You don’t...get to turn this around on me, Patrick! You’re just as untrustworthy! I know _all about_ your nighttime ventures! Isn’t it interesting that the one that we should trust the least is the one wandering around the school, completely unaccounted for, doing God knows _what_?!”

“That’s interesting,” Cassidy says. “What could you be doing out at night, Patrick?”

“Maybe if you tell us any sort of personal information about you, I’ll indulge,” the cosplayer shoots back.

“Oh, please, you’re probably the one behind all of this!” Jeremiah demands.

“That’s enough!” Jess shouts, standing up from her chair abruptly. “I’ve heard enough from all three of you! We’re not going to get anywhere with all of you at each other’s throats! Now, more than ever, what we need to be doing is trusting each other and trying to move forward together! So no more fighting or I’m going to send you all to your rooms!”

The three were quiet now. It was as if Jess’s voice carried a sudden authority to it that they all immediately respected.

Amongst the awkward silence of the room, a new voice cut through the air. “Attention, attention all students. I’ve unlocked the fifth floor for you all, but we need to have an immediate emergency meeting in the entrance hall,” Mononuki says, an unfamiliar vigor to his voice.

“Ugh, what is it now..?” Jeremiah groans.

“Maybe it has to do with the thief,” Harold suggests. “That was rather important to him as of late, and he’s gotten back what he wants.”

“As long as it’s not a motive,” Nancy huffs.

Everyone starts filing out of the room. I linger for a bit, just so I could walk out alongside Cassidy.

“Uh...hey, I’m sorry that I--”

“It’s fine,” Cassidy says. “You held out longer than I expected you to with that sort of information.”

“So...you were expecting me to tell everyone...”

“Within a day was my original estimation. I suppose I’m impressed you managed as long as you did.”

“Well...no one’s laid on the pressure that thick before...” I rub the back of my head as the two of us enter the hallway the entrance hall was located in.

“...I’ll have a discussion with the group later about all I’ve found,” Cassidy comments. “That should quell the growing animosity, at least for now.”

I sure hope that’s the case. “I’m glad you’re trusting the--”

“I don’t trust them,” she corrects, “but at this rate, it’s more dangerous to continue hiding the information. Especially now that you’ve revealed it anyway.”

Right, it’s gotta be my fault, huh? I let out a soft sigh and enter the entrance hall with Cassidy, where the others had already gathered.

Mononuki was standing upright, looking far more awake and aware than he has in the last few weeks we’ve been trapped in this school. It was almost unnerving seeing him actually be attentive for once.

“Glad you could all make it,” Mononuki says with an actual tone beyond exhaustion. He sounded cheery, I’d wager.

“Did someone pour a pot of coffee into your annoyin’ mouth?” Nancy asks.

“This creature just gets weirder and weirder,” Harold muses.

“That’s not important,” Mononuki assures with a wave of his paw. “What is important is the big announcement I have for everyone here.”

“It’s not another motive, is it..?” Jess asks softly.

“No, no...well, maybe. It depends on how you look at it, after all.”

“Just get to the point,” Patrick says.

“So impatient...” Mononuki sighs and scratches behind his ear gently. “Alright, here’s the announcement. In your group is a traitor, who’s been working with me since the announcement of the killing game.”

“...there’s...there’s a...what..?” Jess asks softly.

“A traitor,” Mononuki repeats.

“Someone’s been workin’ for ya this entire time?!” Nancy bellows. “So which of you is it, huh?! Who’s the cowardly piece of shit?!”

“What’s the point of this announcement?” Cassidy asks.

Mononuki tilts his head. “Hm? Whaddya mean..?”

“Why are you announcing this to us now, if this traitor has been working with you since the start?”

“Oh, because this is what happens when you turn your back on your headmaster. So you’re on your own now, kiddo!”

“So, in essence, you’ve fired the traitor,” Harold clarifies.

“Then whoever it is should admit to it!” Jeremiah demands.

We wait in silence for a minute, everyone looking at each other as we anticipated the person to step forward. But no one did.

“...fine, then it’s just another thing I’ll find out on my own,” Jeremiah says.

“But Mononuki is firing them, should we really try to do that?” Jess asks.

“Of course we should!” Nancy bellows. “They’re still a piece o’ shit that kept gettin’ in our way! I bet they did all kinds of stuff just cause the rat over there told them to!”

“You sure seem interested in ignoring this whole problem, Jessica,” Patrick comments. “I wonder why...”

“H-Hey, what are you trying to say?!” the babysitter demands. “I-I would never..!”

“How do we know it’s not you, eh?!” Nancy demands, getting too close to Patrick. “Yer the kinda jackass that would do it!”

“I don’t see what I gain from working with Mononuki,” Patrick says. “I’m just interested in surviving. Although, if you were doing it for information...” His eyes flicker to Cassidy.

“I can gather information just fine on my own, thank you,” Cassidy responds blandly.

Alright, I’ve heard enough! “Stop fighting! We’re not going to get anywhere by throwing accusations back and forth!”

“Let’s just ask Mononuki,” Harold says. He looks to where the tanuki had once been standing...but the space was now empty. Harold frowns and adjusts his glasses. “Or not.”

“Great, just more questions from the worthless rat,” Jeremiah spits. “I’m going to the fifth floor, maybe there’s something actually worthwhile up there...” He walks out of the room.

“Patrick, you don’t actually think I’m the traitor, do you..?” Jess asks softly.

Patrick lets out a soft sigh. “No, Jessica, I don’t.”

“Well...you’re gonna make it up to me then!”

“I am?”

Jess grabs Patrick by the hand and drags him out of the room, Harold following closely behind them.

“Man, this bites...” Nancy grumbles. She leaves the room as well.

I let out a sigh as everyone leaves and look at Cassidy. “Well, that could have gone better, huh?”

“We should try to be vigilant. If the tension keeps bending like this, it’s eventually going to snap.”

She’s right. All of the stress and pain from the killing game is really starting to bear down on everyone, and they’re beginning to turn on each other. But can we really just sit back and watch and wait? That’s never worked before. There has to be some way to alleviate all of this...

Cassidy and I start making our way up to the fifth floor. “So, do you have any ideas who the traitor might be?” I ask.

“Some. But I don’t think we should be focused on that. Mononuki is just trying to distract us again.”

“Distract us how?”

“Think of it this way. Mononuki needs some kind of scapegoat so that people won’t focus their rage on him and whoever is in control after what transpired in the last trial. What better way to do that than to reveal someone in our group was working with him? Rage would turn to that person and trying to find them, and everyone loses sight of the real enemy.”

“So...he did this on purpose, knowing we’d start being at each other’s throats?’

“That seems to be the case. Say what you will about Mononuki, but when it comes to manipulation, he’s no novice.”

“Do you think the others will listen if we try to tell them that?”

Cassidy lets out a gentle sigh. “Most likely, they’d start accusing us of being the traitor. I understand you want to try talking things out, Wayne, but I don’t see that as a viable course of action.”

“Well...what’s your plan, just sit around and wait until someone finally snaps on someone else? We can’t just keep waiting until someone’s hurt or dead to act.”

“So you’re saying that I’m wrong.”

“I’m...just saying we need a new approach. And I think that starts with reaching out to the others and trusting them more.”

Cassidy’s silent for a while, as we arrive to the fifth floor. From the looks of it, this was the last floor we had access to. “...fine, we’ll try it your way,” she finally agrees. “During breakfast tomorrow, I’ll bring the information I’ve collected and we can discuss it as a group.”

I smile and nod. “Alright, deal.” We step out of the stairwell and onto the new floor.

This floor looked to be a lobby of some sort, with a few different rooms available to enter on any of the three other walls. There was an auditorium to the left, an AV room across from us, and a gallery on the right.

Cassidy and I decide to enter the auditorium first. It was a large and spacious room, most of it filled out with chairs for an audience to fill in. There was a large stage in the back of the room, the curtains left open. The backstage had props for different performances, as well as instruments for bands to play. You could access a catwalk from the back, and there was a control panel for the stage equipment. There were also a couple of dressing rooms in the back--one for boys and one for girls--that came suited with different costumes in the closets and mirrors to sit down and do makeup.

“...huh, no one’s in here,” I say. “I figured someone would be looking around right now.”

“They could be somewhere else,” Cassidy says. “There’s only seven of us now.”

Right, just seven...but still, I’d think someone would be in the room.

Cassidy and I poke around a bit before making our way out and going to the AV room instead. It wasn’t as large as the auditorium, but it was certainly big. There was a large screen on the backmost wall that could be used to watch anything with the projector hanging in front of it. You could also sit down at the individual stations in the room to watch something more privately. There was a corner of the room set up for storing video equipment, and there was even a sound booth you could use to record voices.

“No one’s here, either,” I say.

“Then they must be in the gallery,” Cassidy explains. “Either that or they didn’t come up here.”

I know things aren’t going well between everyone, but I can’t see why they wouldn’t want to come up here. The two of us make our way out and head to the gallery.

The gallery seemed to be like a museum, with displays set up for...well, almost anything. From art like sculptures and paintings to objects like jewels and clothing, to seemingly off things like cookbooks and a watch. Walls were set up around what was mostly just a large room so displays could be put against them, and upon further inspection, it seemed like each display related to an Ultimate talent. Was this a place the school showed off the talents of their students?

Cassidy and I walk past a few walls when we finally find everyone, standing in front of a display in the back of the room. They didn’t seem so happy to see it.

There were several items set up along the wall next to each other. A large painting caught my eye first, using abstract colors and shapes to somehow convey a feeling of joy inside of me. There was a typewriter sitting on a table, a completed manuscript next to it. There was another book nearby, but it seemed to be a large comic book. A beautiful flower that I’ve never seen before sat in a bed of dirt in a trough on the floor. There was also a handcrafted chair that looked regal and expensive. A belt for some kind of award was sitting out on a pedestal, and next to it was...

“...hey, isn’t that my fencing saber?” I hurry over to the ground to get a better look. It certainly looked like my saber, almost exactly, but I could tell it was the real deal. It ended in a sharp point that shone in the light. Next to it was a shining gold Olympic medal. Under those items was a label. _Wayne Little - Ultimate Fencer. Earned a perfect score in Olympic fencing._

“Olympic..?” I murmur. “But I’ve never competed in the Olympics.” Sure, I was in the Youth Olympics but I never really had the guts to try for the official thing. It always felt so different. Like I’d have really made it, and everything was riding on how well I’d do there. That kind of pressure never sits well with me.

“So it’s the same for everyone...” Jeremiah murmurs.

“Huh?” I look over at the others. “What’s the same..?”

“These displays. They have our names but...none of us recognize any of them. I flipped through this book here.” Jeremiah gestures to the manuscript. “It’s my style, but...I don’t remember writing it before.”

“I know for a fact that this painting isn’t something Perry has created,” Harold adds, glaring at the massive art piece. “I know _every_ piece of his work, this isn’t one of them. But...it must be a perfect copy of some sort because this is just like his work...”

Patrick was glaring at an outfit that reminded me of one of those robots that turn into vehicles. I think it was made out of actual metal, or at least something that looked just like it. “...this is my work,” he says. “I put my signature on everything I make. And it’s here, on the wrist.”

“But...But I don’t understand...” Jess says softly as she stared down at a book about child psychology, her name plastered on the front cover. “How is this _possible_? Is...Is someone pretending to be us and doing things in our place?”

“Not ‘less they look like us, too,” Nancy says. “Maybe ‘s why the cops never showed up.”

“But this is the school, it should be the beginning of the semester. It’s not possible the police would have no knowledge of that,” Harold says.

“There is another answer,” Cassidy ponders.

“What would that be?” Jeremiah asks. “If it’s not imposters, then...”

“Then it’s amnesia.”

“Amnesia?” I ask. “Wait, but...how long are we talking? I mean, the Olympics aren’t for another year! If it’s true that I went out and got a gold medal then...”

“Then...we forgot an entire year..?” Jess asks, bewildered. “That...That can’t be true! A whole year...how could we just forget an entire year of our lives?!”

“There has to be another answer...” Harold says bitterly. “Maybe this is the next motive? Mononuki is just...mocking us, or something.”

“With perfect replications of our talents?” Cassidy asks. “I doubt it...”

“Maybe this is why Mononuki did things the way he did before,” Patrick ponders. “I recall not being able to find a single live airing of any show. No news stations, either. Basically, no way to tell what the date is.”

“Ah...I remember all the magazines in the rec room had their issue dates blotted out, too,” I say.

“Then...Then this is real?” Jeremiah asks. “An entire year of our lives...maybe even more...just _gone_?”

“It’s...more than that...” Jess says softly. “We were all classmates, friends, for at least a year...and...and we forgot all of that. All that time we spent together, everything we did with one another...we forgot it all and started murdering each other instead! We’ve been killing our friends from the very start!”

A heavy silence fills the air as Jess says that. Is that really true..? Ever since the beginning, these people we were trapped with haven’t been perfect strangers, but instead our friends and classmates. People we bonded with and grew closer to. Betty, Francesa, Giffany, Perry, and everyone else...how close did I get to them before this? How well did I once know them? All of that is gone now...replaced with pain and death and misery.

“...I won’t forgive the traitor for this,” Jeremiah says. “Betraying us all, making sure we crack under the pressure, pushing us to kill over and over again under that order of that rat...whichever one of you it is, I’ll find you! And I’ll make sure you pay for everything, you bastard!”

“If I find out who it is, I’ll beat them ‘til they’re black and blue!” Nancy bellows, slamming her fists together. “You’re in for a world of pain, coward!”

“...Cassidy, where is your display?” Harold asks.

“It’s not here, from what I could see,” she responds.

Not here..? I look over the displays again. Everything seemed accounted for, from a screen showing off a high-production visual novel to a college-grade thesis paper...but then I realized there were only fifteen displays set up. A place for a sixteenth remained, but it was empty. Not even a nameplate.

“I think you owe us some answers,” Patrick says. “You’re excuses are holding less and less water.”

“We can talk tomorrow at breakfast,” Cassidy says. “Give me time to collect everything I have and then we can discuss everything.”

“I look forward to it,” Jeremiah says.

That answer seemed to be satisfying enough for everyone to begin leaving. This still wasn’t settling well for me. If it’s really true that so much of time was just missing for us then...then why? Why take that all away? So that we’d kill? Who would do something like that..?

I trudge out of the room last, my mood at an all-time low. This was a lot to have to take in. Maybe I should check in on the others and make sure they’re okay.

[FREE TIME - START]

When I entered the art room, I was a little surprised to find Jess was there. She had put on a smock she managed to find and was getting busy working on a painting. Though it was pretty clear she didn’t have much clue as to what she was doing.

“Oh, Jess, I thought I’d find Harold here, if anyone,” I say as I approach her.

“Oh!” She looks back at me with a bright smile. “Wayne, hey there! I think Harold went to his room to study, so I just came by here to paint!”

“I didn’t know you painted.”

“I don’t.”

Yeah, alright, I kind of expected that answer. “Well, it’s good to try new things. I don’t think I’ve ever painted before, either.”

“Then you should join me! Doing things with friends always makes them better!”

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” I get a smock out so I could paint without getting dirty. I spend time joining Jess at the easel. The two of us grew a little closer today.

The end result of our painting...well, it wasn’t good. We had tried to do a still life with a bowl of fruit--something classic. But the painting didn’t capture it well at all.

“Well...that could have turned out better,” Jess says with a hesitant smile.

“Yeah, I don’t know how Perry could ever do something like this so easily,” I agree. “Must be a lot of practice.”

“I dunno if I’d have the time for something like that back home. Maybe I should try something else for a hobby.”

“Hm..? You’re looking for a hobby?” Why does that topic seem familiar? “...does this have to do with what we talked about last time?”

“Ah...” Jess looks away, embarrassed. “I was just thinking about it...it must be weird for a teenage girl not to have a single hobby, huh? Between school and work and chores, I just never really stopped to find something I enjoyed doing. It’s just a really busy life.”

“Your parents don’t help with that at all?”

“Oh, well, my dad tries to but he has a job of his own, too. I don’t want to bother him, he has plenty on his plate.”

“Well, what about your mom?”

Jess frowns softly. “She’s busy, too. I don’t want to bother her, either...”

It sounds like Jess lives in a really busy house then if everyone is too busy to help each other. “Well, it’s really impressive that you’re able to take so much responsibility like that, Jess.”

“Huh? You think so?” Jess perks up a little bit when I said that.

“Yeah, you must be really strong to be able to shoulder all of that!”

“Strong...” Jess gently puts a hand to her mouth. “Do you really think so, Wayne..?”

“Of course, Jess. Why wouldn’t I think that?”

I could see a soft blush crossing Jess’s face. “Thanks.” She sets her paintbrush down and claps her hands together. “Well! I think that’s enough painting for today. Maybe I’ll try again later, it was relaxing.”

“Oh, yeah.” I set mine down, too, and take off my smock. “I’ll see you later then, okay, Jess?”

“Sure thing, Wayne!” She smiles brightly and heads out of the room. I’m glad that conversation could end better than they usually do. She seemed to be in good spirits after that. I make my way out of the room after Jess.

I spotted Harold in the library as I was passing it by. He was busy browsing the books, clearly on the hunt for something. I wasn’t too surprised to see he was in the nonfiction section when I walked over.

“Looking for anything in particular?”

“I was hoping to find some college-level textbooks. I’ve gone through all of mine three times over and I need something new.”

I don’t think I could get through a book like that _once_. “Well...I can always help you look. This place is massive, you could probably spend hours combing the shelves.”

“I suppose that’ll be fine. Grab a ladder, I haven’t searched any of the higher shelves just yet.”

I nod and roll a ladder over to the bookshelf. I spend some time hunting for books with Harold. The two of us grew a little closer today.

We managed to find a book on physics that piqued Harold’s interest and he was already giving it a look over to see what kind of subjects it covered.

“I don’t know how you can stand reading stuff like that,” I say offhandedly. “My mind always wanders when I try to read a textbook.”

“I don’t particularly enjoy the work,” Harold admits. “I find it tedious and slow going.”

“Hm? Seriously? But you study so much.”

“That doesn’t mean I like it. I just want to get through this schooling as fast as possible so I can get to college and do real work. As of now, this is just mindless busywork to me.”

“Really..?” I didn’t think he disliked school that much, but I suppose when you’re essentially a genius, stuff like this can feel more like a barrier. “Then why come to Sterling Heights? Why not just get into college?”

“Perseus insisted I come with him since we would have been in the same grade level. I think he just wanted me to socialize, but a school like this could give me more free time for my college preparation. Plus, it’ll look good on an application. No university would pass me up with a Sterling Heights graduation under my belt.”

So, basically, this whole thing is just a means to an end for him. Really should have seen that coming. “And Perry’s plan of socialization..?”

“I wouldn’t have much time like that. Although, if I happened to meet, say, an Ultimate Physicist or an Ultimate Mathematician, I could have at least found some worthwhile company.”

That didn’t bode well for our class. Most of us were artistic or sporty. It definitely didn’t seem to mesh well with Harold’s academic focus. I guess he would have spent most of our school year doing college prep, then.

“Well, without school, you wouldn't have been able to make friends here, haven’t you?”

“Like I’d want to make friends with a bunch of high and mighty teenagers.”

Pot calling the kettle black much? “Oh, right...”

“I have what I want, I’ll be retiring to my room. I’m not going to let this whole situation force me to fall behind.” Tucking the textbook under his arm, Harold makes his way out of the library.

I guess he has some kind of grudge against older kids. Maybe he got bullied or something back in school? I guess I’ll have to ask him about it another time. I leave the library, too.

I saw Jeremiah was in the gallery again, flipping through the completed manuscript sitting on the display with an intensely focused expression.

“So, is it any good?” I ask, peering over his shoulder.

“Of course it’s good, I wrote it...presumably.” The author still seemed understandably troubled by the whole ordeal. I can’t say I blame him for that.

“I don’t think I’ve ever read any of your work. You mind if I give it a look?”

“What?!” His head snaps to look at me. “You--Actually...no, I can believe that. You don’t seem very well-read.” Jeremiah finishes something out of the pocket of his book--a well-worn paperback book. He shoves it into my hands. “Read the first chapter, we can talk more then.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have asked if he’s going to make me feel bad about it _and_ assign homework. “Yeah, I’ll try to read it quickly.” I find a place to sit down and read. I spend time reading Jeremiah’s book while he glares at me. The two of us grew a little closer today.

I manage to finish the first chapter. From what I could understand, this was supposed to be a story about a mother reflecting on raising her children on her deathbed. The chapter almost had me in tears by the end of it, but I tried not to get too emotional in front of Jeremiah.

“ _Wow_ .” I manage to say. “It’s...I don’t really know how to explain it, but it’s _really_ good.”

“Of course it’s good. _I_ wrote it,” Jeremiah boasts. “I wanted to try writing something with a stream of consciousness, and I figured that a parent on their deathbed was a good premise to explore that.”

“A stream of consciousness..?” I wipe my eyes while Jeremiah wasn’t looking and get back to my feet.

“It’s a literary term, Wayne. It just means a flowing way of writing, typically meant to reflect the way thoughts flow and spill into each other. Most of the first chapter was just a stream of consciousness as the mother floats from memories to thoughts and back again. I focus more on establishing characters from there.”

“What gave you an idea for that?”

“My own mother’s passing, actually,” Jeremiah admits. “I tend to pull ideas from my own life. I always thought about what it was like, to pass away slowly. The sort of things someone would think about, where their brain would wander, what they might consider important, and reflect on. So I wrote a story about it.”

“Oh...I’m sorry to hear about your mom, Jeremy.”

“Hm? Oh, it’s fine. I was young and she was sick...I don’t remember what it was, I just remember she was always in the hospital when I was little. I guess I was there a lot, too. It’s what inspired me to write a horror novel about a patient returning to a hospital he was in as a kid and uncovering some dark secrets.”

“So you do that often? Using your life as a way to write?” It kind of sounds like he uses these novels to...cope. “I guess you must have a pretty eventful life to have so many ideas.”

“They’re not all that extreme, sometimes they’re more mundane,” he explains with a wave of his hand. I could tell the compliment was appreciated from the smirk settling on his face, though. “My father used to have this old computer that ran poorly, so it was loud. I used to think it was a monster when I was little, and I ended up using that to write about a post-apocalyptic novel about a machine uprising that left few survivors, with both man and machine attempting to rebuild.”

“That’s a lot of different genres. Most authors just pick one and stick with it, don’t they?”

“Most authors are cowards,” Jeremiah replies quickly, pushing his glasses up his nose. “I experiment with ideas that cross my mind. I have more drafts than I do complete work, anyhow.”

There’s that ego again. “Do you mind if I borrow this book? I want to finish reading.”

“...no, not that one. I found a copy in the library, you can get that.” Jeremiah takes the book back from me and tucks it into his blazer again.

“Oh, uh, alright.” I guess that copy was important to him. “Well, I’ll go find the one in the library and I’ll make sure I read it before the next time we talk!”

A smirk settles on Jeremiah’s face. “Good. In that case, I’ll let you get to it. I always love discussing my books with fans.” He strides out of the room in his air of confidence.

Jeremiah was definitely an amazing writer, no doubt about that. But it seems like it’s a lot more important to him than I thought. Maybe it has to do with the way he views the world? I‘m sure I can talk about it next time, after I get a full taste of his work.

It was getting late, so I stop by the cafeteria for dinner. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife--whether it was from the still present animosity or the growing unease with our situation. I go get some dinner and sit in the middle of the table to at least keep an eye on things.

Jeremiah and Cassidy were seated as far apart as possible. Jess was at least keeping Patrick and Harold close. Nancy was keeping to herself for now. And...that was it. That’s...everyone left. It feels like it’s been months since this table was full...

I eat my food slowly, the sour mood in the air beginning to get to me as well. None of this made any sense to me. Cassidy seemed like she was putting it all together, but who knows how close she is to the truth. At the very least, no one is fighting at the moment. They’re all just waiting for tomorrow, I’m sure.

Dinner goes by and I was glad to get out of that room and breathe again. I head to the gym afterward. I hadn’t asked the girls if they wanted to exercise tonight. I wasn’t sure if either of them were up to it anymore, after everything that’s been going on. If they didn’t show up, I’d probably just go to bed.

I had just about given up after half an hour when the doors open, causing me to perk up. Jess entered the room, closely followed by Patrick.

“Jess, hey!” I stand up.

“Hey there, Wayne!” she smiles gently, leading Patrick by the hand. “I was hoping I’d see you in here. You’re on for exercise tonight, right?”

“Sure am. Is Patrick going to be joining us?”

“I figured I’d give it another shot,” Patrick says. “I’ve noticed Nancy hasn’t been showing up, thought this would be a good time to do it.”

Speaking of the devil, the doors slam open as Nancy barges into the room. She had a pretty intense look on her face as she stomped her way over. Patrick almost immediately tried to leave, but Jess wouldn’t let go of his hand.

“Hey,” Nancy grunts, eyes looking at no one.

“...you come for exercise?” I ask gently.

“Yeah.”

Nancy’s mood is worse than ever. I wouldn’t want to be the football dummy she pummels into a pulp tonight.

Jess looks like she wanted to say something, but one look from Nancy made her immediately clam up. The four of us decided to get to it in silence. Patrick, Jess, and I did our workouts together while Nancy focused on venting her emotions in the best way she knew how.

“So,” Patrick says, laying on his back after giving up on keeping up with sit-ups, “why did you all start doing this, anyway? You’ve been at it for a while now, haven’t you?”

“Oh, well, I joined in kind of late,” Jess admits, stopping her own sit-ups to speak. “Wayne?”

“Betty invited me and Nancy to come work out with her one of the first nights here,” I explain. “She wanted us to hang out, and since the three of us were all athletes, she got us together.”

“‘Cause she was afraid,” Nancy huffs, sweat dripping down her brow as she lands another solid blow to the chest of the dummy. “She was afraid someone was gonna come ‘n kill her, so she had us meet with her at night so she could not think about it.”

Ah, that’s right, Betty admitted to us that the killing game was scaring her. That felt so long ago now...

“Betty was just looking for some friends to keep her company,” I say. “She always looked forward to our meetings. It’s how she kept herself going.”

“One night we don’t go check on her is the night that red-haired bitch decides to kill her,” Nancy practically snarls.

“Franny wasn’t a...” Jess frowns and trails off with a soft sigh. “...she was just scared, too. During the girl’s night, while we were drinking that tea I made, she told me about her family. How they always ignored her over her older sister and made her feel so...meaningless. When she started getting popular at school for some play she starred in, that’s when they started to notice her again, and she just kept going with it--the acting, that is. So if it’s true that Mononuki told her that everyone was just going to forget about her again, then...”

“Is that why you said what you did?” Patrick asks. “When she was about to die, you tried to reassure her, didn’t you?”

“She was just scared and...I wanted to help. Even if there wasn’t anything else I could do...”

“You did your best,” I assure Jess. “We couldn’t do anything for Francesca after...what she did...”

“I’m sure she appreciated it,” Patrick says, though it sounded unconvincing in his mostly monotone voice. “You were her friend, even for a short while.”

“The hell do you even know about friends?” Nancy snaps back.

“...I was friends with Giffany. At least, to the extent that we would hang out.”

“You were?” Jess asks. “She never mentioned...”

“I never said it officially,” Patrick admits. “But we talked about manga a bit. We showed each other our favorite anime when the rec room opened. She even showed me a demo for a visual novel she’d been working on. It was based off of this game, evidently. Something about trying to cope, I think.”

“You said some awful shit about her for bein’ her ‘friend’,” Nancy says snarkily.

“I was just saying what was true. Giffany’s vulnerability was an issue, and I was right. Someone decided to abuse that vulnerability to kill her specifically because they say it as an opportunity.”

Rita...she’d been so desperate to leave her with Tyler, that she never even tried to understand the consequences of her actions until...

“...are we bad people..?” Jess asks softly. “Every time we have those awful trials and have to vote for someone, I can’t stop my whole body from becoming icy and clammy. I just think...every time I vote, I’m just helping Mononuki kill someone...”

“It’s not your fault,” I say. “It’s Mononuki’s and whoever is controlling him. The alternative to voting is...the rest of us dying instead...”

“At this rate, it ain’t gonna matter either way,” Nancy grumbles. “Droppin’ like goddamn flies ‘round here. No one’s gonna be left in ‘nother two weeks...”

Mononuki’s voice suddenly rings out across the school. “Heeey...uh...it’s officially 10 o’clock at night now so...I’m closing the cafeteria. Cause it’s nighttime. Sleep well, everyone...”

Jess sits up quickly. “It’s that late already?”

“We should get back to our rooms, then, before Cassidy blows a gasket,” Patrick says, getting back to his feet with a stretch.

“Are you going to come back and exercise with us tomorrow night?” Jess asks hopefully.

“...I’ll think about it.”

Well, that was a better answer than I was expecting. With that, the four of us make our way out of the room and back to our own dorms. Cassidy was waiting as if expecting us. The other three retired to their rooms while I meet with Cassidy.

“You’re late,” she says sternly.

“Sorry...” I rub the back of my head slowly. It’s like getting scolded by a teacher...

“...it’s fine, you were all in a group.” She shakes her head and looks down at her notepad. “There’s really not enough people left to warrant two of us doing the attendance anymore.”

“Can we do it together anyway?”

“I thought you’d say that. Come on.” There wasn’t much attendance to do, since Cassidy watched half the remaining group go to their rooms already. But Harold and Jeremiah were in their rooms, too, so no one was out of place.

“Tomorrow, once you show everyone that info you’ve got, do you think maybe we should try to make a plan?” I ask as I follow Cassidy back to her room. “I think if we all work together...”

“We can try,” Cassidy says. “If I’m being honest...I haven’t had much luck thinking of a plan without major holes in it. Outside input could be more beneficial...so long as it’s nothing like the last few plans the others have tried to make.”

I...can’t exactly say she’s wrong for thinking that. “Alright then! I’ll see you tomorrow for sure, okay?”

“I’ll see you then. Have a good night, Wayne.” Cassidy offers me a slight wave and disappears into her room. I head back to my own to shower and get into bed.

I hope we can start putting the pieces together soon. With what we saw in the gallery, and the implications that come with it...it complicates things to an astronomical level. Whether it’s imposters or mind-wiping, we’re still missing a lot of information. Maybe more so than we thought...

I manage to fall asleep, my thoughts drifting away as I do.


	37. Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish - Daily Life Part II

I woke up the next day halfway through the morning announcement. I must be getting used to it or something, because I was tuning it out today as I got myself ready. Today was going to be important for sure, I didn’t want to miss breakfast.

I make my way to the cafeteria as quickly as possible. Everyone else was already in the room, sitting together near Cassidy, who was at her usual spot at the front of the table. I quickly take my place among them all.

“Took you long enough,” Nancy huffs in my direction.

“He already knows this information, what reason would he have to hurry?” Jeremiah asks cynically.

I frown softly, but decide it was best to just let Cassidy carry on with things.

Cassidy sets down a manilla folder and slides it across the table to the rest of us. “This is every bit of information I’ve managed to collect during our time in the school.”

The others were quick to open the file and start taking papers out of it to look over. I recognized them as the ones Cassidy showed me before--student files, a statement from the TYCP, and the handwritten note from another group.

“So the program had an affinity with luck, hm..?” Patrick asks as he passes on the paper in his hands to the next person. “Did Rick have any idea about that?”

“Not that I know of,” I say. “I did ask him, but he didn’t have any input on it.”

“What...What the hell is this?” Jeremiah asks, looking over the note he had a second time. “A new order..? And who exactly is being weeded out?!”

“Ah...that sounds like what Cassidy mentioned yesterday...” Jess ponders.

“I have reason to believe that note is, at least in part, directed to us. This killing game...wouldn’t you say it is a test of some kind?”

“Uh, I don’t test very well...” Nancy grumbles.

“A...A test..?” Jess asks softly. “But...But what’s being tested..?”

“Ultimate students,” Harold suggests. “That’s the thread linking us all together, isn’t it? A test of Ultimate students, of the ones meant to build a ‘bright future’. It could be a test of us as people, to see what will make us crack and snap and ruin that future by ripping each other down.”

“What exactly does that tell us?” Jeremiah demands. “We already know that there has to be some kind of all-important lunatic behind this whole game! How is this supposed to move us forward?!”

“Why do you think I was hesitant to share anything yet?” Cassidy shoots back. “We haven’t exactly had many opportunities to gather clues and information, so I’ve had a hard time finding anything telling.”

“...show me your notepad then.”

Cassidy’s brow furrows and she suddenly looks uncomfortable. “Excuse me?”

“You’re constantly taking notes, right? Every day I see you writing and reviewing that thing. You’re holding out on us, I know it! So give me your notepad!”

“This is private.” Cassidy closes the notepad and tucks it into her breast pocket. “Besides, there’s nothing relevant written inside. You have no right to it.”

“...Nancy.” Jeremiah stands up, looking at the boxer. “You’ve been wanting to help, haven’t you? Find some way of moving us forward in all of this?”

“Uh,  _ duh _ ,” was the boxer’s reply.

“Then hold Cassidy down for me. She has something in that notepad, and I’m finding out what.”

“Heh, I think I can handle that.” Nancy stands up, a snarky smirk on her face as she slams one fist into the other.

“Hey, you can’t do that!” I quickly step in, getting up as well to try and get in Nancy’s way.

“Move it, shrimp! I’m sick of taking orders from that bitch and her little puppy. Time for action!” Nancy grabs me by the collar of my jacket and almost effortlessly throws me aside. I tumble to the ground with a grunt, Jess immediately running to my side.

Cassidy tries to get up and run, but Nancy was faster, grabbing the shorter girl by the arm and forcing it up behind her back. Cassidy hisses in pain, forced to stop in Nancy’s grip. “You two--”

“I’ll be taking that.” Jeremiah plucks the notepad out of Cassidy’s pocket. “Now to see what you’ve been hiding from all of us.”

“No...you...WON’T!” Cassidy brings her foot up, turning her body to the side despite the obvious pain it brought her to kick Nancy in the gut with her heel. The boxer’s eyes bug out and she loses her grip, falling to the ground with winded breath.

Cassidy and Jeremiah were wrestling over the notepad in seconds, both falling to the ground as they fight over it. Some pages from the pad come loose as they pull on it and rip them out.

Jess got me back to my feet and we run over to the other two so we could pull them apart, Cassidy managing to hold onto what was left of her notepad as we did so. She stopped fighting in Jess’s grasp once she had it, but Jeremiah kept struggling to get out of mine.

“You’re all making a mistake!” Jeremiah demands. “She’s hiding something, I know it! She’s the one standing in our way! She has to be!”

“Jeremiah, enough!” Jess demands with a shrill voice. She’d let Cassidy go so the blond could begin collecting her papers off the floor. “Look at what you’re doing! Cassidy brought everything with her that she had because you didn’t trust her! Can’t you see that she’s trying?!”

“Why do you want to trust her now?! She’s been hiding things from the start! Her and  _ Wayne _ !” Jeremiah swings his head back, slamming it into my nose. I cry out and stumble into the table, both hands over my nose once Jeremiah shrugged me off of him.

“I told you before, I’ll find the answers in this school! I don’t need the scraps Cassidy is willing to throw me! I’m not some starving mutt!” He looks down at the papers still at our feet and grabs one, hurrying through the door before anyone could stop him.

I move my hand away from my nose. It hurt, but it wasn’t bleeding at least. “Ugh...Cassidy, are you okay..?” I mumble softly.

Cassidy doesn’t respond, picking up the last few pages. I pluck one off of the floor, glancing at it. It looked like she’d taken notes on something.  _ You’re currently 16 years old and a freshman at Sterling Heights Academy. You are the Ultimate C-- _

Cassidy snatches the page out of my hand. “Don’t read that.”

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean--”

“Nngh...fuckin’ hell...” Nancy groans, slowly pulling herself up using the table. She had one arm around her stomach. “Fuckin’ pussy left me here...”

“Jessica, Nancy is on house arrest effective immediately,” Cassidy says. “Take her back to her room and keep an eye on her, will you? She’s clearly dangerous and not to be trusted. This should keep her out of trouble.”

“H-Hey, ya can’t do that to me..!” Nancy demands. “I have my rights!”

“Cassidy’s right, this is the last straw, Nancy!” Jess argues. “You’re  _ grounded _ !”

“You ain’t my mom!” Nancy barks. “Ya can’t tell me what t--ow, ow, hey! Leggo!” Jess grabbed Nancy by the ear and began pulling her out of the room, a stern look on her face. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Jess that mad before.

I look to Cassidy, but she had a strong gaze that shot daggers into anything she looked at. She was trying to smooth out the papers she had collected off the floor.

“Cass, I--”

“Not...now, Wayne.” She tucks the notepad back into her pocket and marches out of the room.

I let out a sigh, my shoulders slumping. That...didn’t go the way I was hoping it would. I thought maybe we could lessen the tension if we just...

Harold walks over, handing me the folder. “Here, I put everything back. I’m sure Cassidy will want this.”

I nod softly and take the folder from Harold. “Thanks...”

“Don’t forget this,” Patrick says, handing me a newspaper clipping...hm? I don’t remember Cassidy having any of these. Did she not tell me about it?

“I’ll make sure she gets it all back. Thanks, guys.” I start making my way out, looking over the clipping I now had as I left.

**_The Hidden Underbelly of the Talented Youth Cultivation Project_ **

_ Following the latest scandal of the TYCP with the disappearance of one of the American branch’s freshman students, an anonymous source has decided to reveal massive amounts of hidden knowledge about the worldwide program, which appears to now run rampant with corruption and deceit. _

_ Such information includes a closer look at those in charge of the program, what their goal is, and what exactly is happening to some of the children attending the schools. Some important excerpts will be shown on the next page, while the full documentation can be found on our website. _

I frown softly. That was all the article clip said, and the back just seemed to be part of an ad, so nothing to see there. Where did Cassidy pick this up? I guess it must have been recently if she didn’t tell me. Still, I don’t remember hearing about any major scandals from the TYCP. Sure, you get the occasional rumor and unfounded conspiracy theory, but this is some big news. Did this paper come out in that time we managed to forget? And...who’s the missing student mentioned in the article?

I tuck the paper back into the folder and head to Cassidy’s room, figuring she’d have gone back there. I knock on the door. “Hey, Cass, it’s Wayne! I’m just giving back your folder.”

The door opens and Cassidy takes the folder from me, not making eye contact. “Thank you.”

I frown softly. “...are you going to be okay, Cass?”

“I’ll...be fine, Wayne. Really.” She stands up straighter, making eye contact with me now. She had that usual professional air about her again. “I’ll be here if you need anything, okay?”

I nod. “Right, got it. And if you need me at all, come get me, okay? No matter what I’m doing.”

“Understood.” Cassidy shuts her door but stops for a moment just before it clicked closed. “...thank you for all your help, Wayne. I never said it before.” And then she closes the door.

I let out a deep sigh and put my back against the wall. Today...could have gone better. It could have gone a  _ lot  _ better. Jeremiah is grieving over his friends, Nancy is getting impatient, Cassidy doesn’t want to trust the others--not that they  _ aren’t  _ giving her reason to feel that away, clearly. This whole thing is just...becoming such a mess. If we keep being at each other’s throats like this...

It’s all Mononuki’s fault. Things are only getting worse because of his announcement and that gallery and his trials and...agh, it’s no use. I can’t sit here and stew in my own anger forever. Maybe it’ll be better to go spend some time with everyone else.

[FREE TIME - START]

I poke my head in the science lab when I saw that the door was open. Harold was inside, wearing a labcoat that he had to roll up the sleeve on and a pair of goggles that were big enough to fit over his glasses. I guess the equipment was intended for older students...

I walk over as Harold mixed a couple of chemicals together. “What are you up to?”

“Basic chemistry,” Harold says. “I haven’t had a chance yet to get my hands on this amount of supplies. Thought I could use the chance to work hands-on.”

I’m pretty sure I almost flunked my chem class when I was fourteen. Still, I remember having fun when the teacher would mix chemicals together every week to show us different reactions. “Mind if I watch? This was always my favorite part of chemistry.”

“...if you want to, I suppose. But I doubt I’ll be doing anything fantastical like explosions.”

“Oh, that’s alright, Harold.” Even if I was a bit bummed out to hear that. I go put on a labcoat and goggles of my own and sit down. I spend time watching Harold mix chemicals together. The two of us grew a little closer today.

Most of the reactions Harold created were either slight color changes, smoke, or bubbles. I was quickly falling asleep watching that. Maybe I could ask him something...

“So, what’s school like for you, anyway?” I ask. “Must be pretty crazy skipping ahead so many grades at such a young age.”

“School is little more than busy work for me,” Harold says. “The material is fairly simple, if not outright insultingly easy to me.”

“Right, you did mention you’d be going for college already if not for the TYCP.”

“Exactly.” Harold sighs softly. “I read through their textbooks in about a week or two then I like to properly stimulate my brain myself with something a bit more my level.”

Geez, and I thought Jeremiah had an ego problem...

“And what about your classmates? You don’t seem to interact with them much, from what you’ve told me.”

“Why should I? They’re all beneath me but they still like to act high and mighty just because I’m younger. There’s no point wasting the brain cells talking to them when I could spend my time doing, quite literally, anything else.”

So, it’s that bad, huh? I have to wonder how many genuinely nice people he ends up pushing away with an attitude like that. “Don’t you think you could try? It’s not like everyone is going to be out to get you.”

“Wayne, please, I’ve told you before I don’t need these kinds of lectures. I’m perfectly happy keeping to myself and studying. I don’t need anything more than that.”

“I don’t think I believe that, Harold. Even the most introverted kids can’t avoid talking to people all the time. You had to have at least tried at some point, haven’t you?”

Harold frowns softly, looking away. “...yeah, I did try. And I decided it wasn’t for me.”

“Harold..? You alright?”

Harold was quiet for a few seconds. “...I’m fine. I finished all the experimenting I want, you can leave now.” He starts collecting the various beakers he used so he could clean them off, not bothering to say anything else to me. I take the hint and undress from the lab clothes, leaving the room.

I guess it’s not too surprising to hear Harold at least attempted making friends. From the sounds of it, though, it didn’t end well. What could have happened to make him this prickly and egotistical..?

Patrick was in the dressing room when I found him next. He was shuffling through the various costumes in the closet with a scowl on his face.

“Are you looking for something in particular?” I ask him as he pushes a dress out of the way to move onto the next outfit.

“I’m just looking over the outfits here. Some of this is such shoddy work. Probably bought for cheap...”

I can’t imagine Sterling Heights Academy doing anything cheaply. They’re pretty well known for having access to expensive, high-end supplies meant to fulfill the needs of any Ultimate student in attendance. Maybe Patrick just has higher standards.

“Well, I’m sure your own costumes are better,” I try to assure.

“Of course they are.” He stops his shuffling and looks at me. “...I finished that cosplay for yours, by the way. Do you want to try it on?”

Woah, he actually finished it? “Yeah, of course, that sounds great!”

Patrick goes to get the cosplay for me, coming back with it bundled in his arms. He hands it to me and I hurry into the private changing room the dressing room had so I could put it on. Once it was on, I step back out, now dressed as...well, a character I didn’t recognize very well. I knew his style from an RPG my sister played, with the spiky blond hair and the oversized anime sword that...I think Patrick made out of real metal? It sure was heavy. Still, I absolutely loved it! I spend some time talking about the cosplay with Patrick. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“I’m honestly just surprised you finished it for me,” I say from the private changing room as I got back into my normal clothes.

“Well, I did tell you I would. It was a good way to spend my time practicing.”

“Well, it’s more just...I mean...uh...”

“Just spit it out, Wayne.”

“...you seem a bit too... _ selfish _ to actually want to make gifts for people.”

“...do I now?” Patrick at least didn’t seem mad when I said that. More curious than anything, really.

“Well, I didn’t mean to put it so harshly.” I step out of the changing stall, back in my normal clothes with the cosplay carefully hung up the way Patrick had it before I put it on. I didn’t want to wrinkle it and possibly make him angry. “You just don’t seem like the type to hand out gifts to people for nothing in return.”

“Honest question, Wayne. Do you think I’m a bad person?” Patrick seemed calm as he spoke, half sitting on one of the makeup stations and using his hands to keep himself propped up.

“Huh? No, of course not, Patrick. If that’s what it seemed like I was implying then--”

“Okay, what makes me a good person then? What qualities do you think I have to warrant it?”

Is this...another one of his experiments? I feel like I’m missing something here, but then again, that’s not all that different from most conversations I have with Patrick. It hasn’t driven me away yet.

“Well...you don’t really like to express it, but I think you do care about all of us, at least just a little. You just have a...peculiar way of showing it.”

“...no matter what I do, I can’t seem to understand you any better than I did before, Wayne.” Patrick lets out a soft sigh, looking away from me. “People really are enigmas. You can poke and prod them as much as you want, but in the end, each person has a different way of reacting. It’s difficult trying to keep up with it all.”

“Poke and...wait, isn’t that what you were trying to do to me before? Push me until I reacted a certain way?”

“In a sense, yes. People are...unpredictable. It’s hard to get into their heads and see what makes them tick. They’re full of contradictions, double standards, false ideals...did you know it’s possible to rewrite or implant memories in a person? It can be a lengthy process, but given enough time, any person could do it to any other person. Not only are we unpredictable, but we’re malleable and easy to change. It’s just not possible to sit down and put a person together in a way that makes them consistent and easy to understand.”

It...sounds like Patrick struggles a lot with handling people. Maybe that’s why he comes off as so cold and callous. He’s just not sure how else to express what he’s thinking except the most direct and straightforward way.

“Well...you don’t have to poke and prod me to figure out how I tick. I’ll explain my feelings to you as many times as I need to if it’ll help.” I walk over and put my arm around his shoulder in a half hug, grinning wide.

“...you know,” Patrick says, “I thought you might say something like that. Maybe you are just easy to read.” he returns the gesture, putting his arm around my shoulders as well. A hint of a smile crossed his face.

Patrick is an incredibly direct and to-the-point person, although it seems to come to a fault when other people take it as him being a jerk. He’s not a bad guy, he’s just trying to understand people in the only way he knows how. I think we could still improve on that, though. I felt like I understand Patrick a little bit better. The two of us really are friends.

I spent some time talking more about the cosplay Patrick made me before we parted ways and I took the costume back to my room.

I’m sure Cassidy was still in her room at the moment, so I went by and knocked on the door. Sure enough, she opened it and looks at me with a rather relaxed gaze. “Oh, Wayne, did you need something?”

“I was just hoping you wouldn’t mind hanging out,” I tell her.

“Well...” She spares a glance into her room. “...no, I wouldn’t mind. We can go to the student store, I’d like some coffee.”

I nod and the two of us make our way to the third floor, entering the student store. Cassidy begins brewing some coffee for herself.

“Did you want some, Wayne?”

“Oh, no thanks. Caffeine doesn’t sit too well with me. I’ll just take one of these muffins.”

Cassidy nods and goes back to her preparation. Once she had her coffee and I’d picked out a muffin I liked, the two of us sat down together. I spend some time relaxing with Cassidy. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“...I feel as though I should apologize again for my outburst the other day,” Cassidy says as she sets her cup down. “Really, it was completely out of line.”

“Oh, hey, no hard feelings.” I smile reassuringly with a wave of my hand. “We’re all really stressed out, I get it. Nothing bad happened, so there’s no need to keep worrying about it.”

“Wayne, you’re far too forgiving,” Cassidy warns. Well, at least she’s back to being her usual self.

“Well, why’s that? I know you weren’t going to hurt me and didn’t mean anything by it. But...I guess I am curious why you acted the way you did in the first place.”

Cassidy sighs softly. “I just...have a hard time trusting people, I suppose. But I’m sure you’ve already gathered that at this point.”

“Maybe just a little bit,” I say, half-joking.

“I have my reasons to be wary of people. Especially when they present themselves as you do.”

Is that going to be insulting to me? “How do I present myself?”

“Friendly, kind, selfless, trustworthy...I have my own problems and I shouldn’t take them out on you with senseless paranoia.”

“Well, I accept your apology, if it helps. But you seem to enjoy my company despite all that, Cass.”

“...I guess I do,” she agrees.

We spend the rest of the time in silence, and it was nice. We parted ways once we’d finished our respective food. I really think I’m making a lot of great headway with Cass and our friendship. I hope she feels the same way about me.

Well, dinner was coming up. I don’t know if Cassidy plans to leave her room or not, I don’t know if Jeremiah will show up...or where he is, Nancy and Jess aren’t going to show because one’s under house arrest and the other’s on guard duty. So we’re also not going to get any exercise in.

I went to the cafeteria to eat. It was empty like I suspected. Patrick did come in to eat, but we didn’t speak much.

This whole thing was a mess. Jeremiah’s gone off the deep end and I don’t know if talking to him  _ will  _ work anymore. He’s being just as stubborn as Nancy is.

“You should take some dinner to Jessica and Nancy,” Patrick says as he eats some soup. “I doubt either of them will be coming by to cook.”

“Oh, yeah, good idea. Thanks, Patrick.” I finish my dinner and head to the kitchen to throw something together for the girls. I...wasn’t too sure what either of them liked, so I hope they don’t mind a couple of TV dinners I found.

Once both of those were cooked and warm, I take them to the dorm hall. I didn’t see Jess starting in front of Nancy’s door, so I decided to knock. She was the one that answered.

“Oh, Wayne, you brought dinner. Thank you so much.” Jess takes the two TV dinners out of my hands. “You want to come in? I won’t tell Cassidy that you visited.”

“Yeah, sure.” I wanted to check on Nancy anyway. And maybe get an apology out of her for throwing me across the cafeteria...

Nancy’s room was as stylish as the rest, but it was decorated in different promotional products for her career such as posters and special boxing gloves. She also had some belts on display that she’d won and some basic exercise equipment like dumbbells and sit up pull ropes.

Nancy was laying in bed, hands behind her head. She looked bored to death, so when I entered the room, she lit up immediately. “Oh, hey, Wa--Food!” She gets out of bed and takes one of the dinners from Jess, immediately starting to scarf it down.

Jess sits down to start eating her own dinner. “I’m letting Wayne visit just because you’ve been behaving so far,” Jess says. “And I think you owe him an apology.”

“Hm?” Nancy stops shoveling food into her mouth to look down at me. “Shhorry,” she says through her mouthful.

“I’m fine, you didn’t bruise me,” I assure. “Besides, you really should be apologizing to Cassidy.”

Nancy swallows her mouthful. “Hey! She kicked me in the gut, I don’t gotta apologize for nothin’! Then she has the balls to put  _ me  _ under house arrest!”

“You also sided with Jeremiah to steal her notepad and basically held her hostage so he could. I don’t think you gave her many choices...”

“Hey, it’s not like I was doin’ it on my own! Jeremy had a plan and junk, more than any o’ you! ‘S not like I was tryin’a bust outta here again! You guys just don’t want me doin’ anythin’...”

“Nancy, that’s not true,” Jess steps in. “I think you can be a lot of help. You just...need to spend more time thinking things through instead of just reacting. You could have hurt Wayne or Cassidy...you  _ did  _ hurt Cassidy, in fact. And you need to apologize for it.”

“Ugh, whatever,  _ Mom _ ...” Nancy grumbles.

Jess puffs her cheeks out. “Don’t take that tone with me!”

“Ugh, whatever! Did ya just come by for food and naggin’, Wayne?”

Alright, I can tell when someone is asking me to leave. “Yeah, hope you enjoyed it. I’m guessing no workout tonight?”

“Whadda  _ you  _ think?”

Right. “I’ll see you two tomorrow, then. Have a good night.”

“Goodnight, Wayne!” Jess smiles and waves me goodbye as I leave Nancy’s room.

I make my way back to my room. It was still early, given that the nighttime announcement hadn’t played yet. But I really didn’t have anything left to do today. Everyone’s more separated than ever and it’d just be better off getting some sleep tonight and trying again tomorrow.

I get into bed, finding myself slowly drifting off to sleep.


	38. Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish - Daily Life Part III

I stirred awake on my own, probably before the morning announcement played. I sit up slowly and stretch with a yawn. I shouldn’t be too surprised by this, I did go to bed early.

I get up and get myself ready for the day. I didn’t feel like laying in bed and if I was up early, I could just go exercise for some time.

I head into the hallway once I was dressed and clean. But I wasn’t the only person awake right now. Patrick was in the hall, presumably walking back to his room. The two of us locked eyes and a scowl stretched on his face.

“Oh, Wayne...what are you doing awake?”

“I went to bed early...uh, what about you?”

“...couldn’t sleep.” Patrick shrugs his shoulders. “Went for a walk. That’s all.”

“Well, alright...” I don’t want to distrust Patrick, but given what Cassidy said about him...but then, Cassidy still has a lot to hide herself...

“I don’t care if you believe me or not,” Patrick says. “I was just heading back to my room now to wait on the morning announcement.”

“Oh, well, if you’re not doing anything anyway, do you want to come to the gym with me and work out? I was heading that way since I woke up.”

Patrick stares down at me quietly for a moment. “...alright, that’s fine. I didn’t see any of you last night anyway.”

Patrick and I head to the gym to work out together for a little while. We didn’t do anything too intensive, just a light workout to help us feel more prepared for the day. We didn’t speak much, but it was a nice way to spend a bit of time with each other.

“ _Yaaawn_...good morning, everyone. It’s officially 7 AM, so I guess it’s time to get up. Have a nice day...I guess.” I look up the screens as the familiar announcement plays...at least, at first. “Oh yeah, I also have an important offer for our resident traitor...” Mononuki pauses to yawn. “Mm...I think maybe I was a little too hard on you after all...so I’m going to give you a little bonus for all your hard work! If you can kill two students, with say...five minutes between both kills, then I’ll grant you immediate freedom...doesn’t that sound nice?”

“...huh?” I ask, dumbfounded. What did he just...h-he can't be serious, right?!

“Hm...” Patrick crosses his arms. “Interesting proposal...I wonder if anything will come from it.”

I could feel familiar anxiety twisting in my gut. Nothing was going to come from it, right? After all, the traitor doesn’t have to work for or listen to Mononuki anymore now. But...still...someone willing to work against the group, with a deal like that...

“We should go get breakfast,” Patrick says. “Cassidy will probably be doing her attendance.”

“Ah, right...” I’m sure this big reveal will be a big point of conversation today. I wonder if Jeremiah will be there...

I head to the cafeteria with Patrick. Cassidy was already there, like usual, brows furrowed as she read through her notepad. All of the papers that got torn out were still loose, but it seems like she was doing an effort to keep them together anyway.

I get myself a light breakfast and take a seat next to her. “So, uh, that announcement today...”

“...don’t worry about it,” Cassidy says, closing her notepad.

“Hm..? But why--”

“It’s just empty threats. I don’t believe anything will come of it.”

I frown softly. What...is she talking about? Normally, Cassidy would be the one standing up to find some way to counter Mononuki with whatever she had on hand. Even if it didn’t work in the end every time, she _tried_...this wasn’t like her.

“Are you feeling alright today, Cass?” I ask gently.

“I’m fine.” Cassidy lets out a soft sigh. “Just...didn’t sleep well last night. A lot on my mind.”

Well, I can’t blame her for that, after the massive blow up that was yesterday. “I understand. You want to talk about it later?”

“...sure,” she says after a moment. “We can meet later today. Before dinner, maybe? We can meet in my room.”

I nod and grin. “Yeah, sure, sounds like a plan!”

The others come in soon enough as a group, minus Jeremiah, who never showed up for breakfast.

Nancy was understandably grumpy. I could tell she was trying to avoid something. The glare she was getting from Jess as she tried to eat her breakfast was making her crack more and more, though.

“...god, fine!” Nancy finally snaps. She huffs and looks at Cassidy. “I’m _sorry_.”

Cassidy looks up from her notepad. “Hm..? Oh, well...you’re forgiven.”

Nancy blinks. “...uh, I am?”

“Yes, yes.” Cassidy waves a hand dismissively. I don’t think she was even listening anymore. She was completely absorbed in whatever was written in her notepad.

“Well...hell yeah, that was easier than I thought!” Nancy flashes a big grin. “No more house arrest! I’m outta here!” She gets up from the table, quickly scarfing down the rest of her food before marching out of the room.

Jess purses her lips. “Cassidy, is everything alright?”

“Is there a reason everyone keeps asking me that today?” Cassidy looks up from her notepad with a frown.

“You’re just a bit out of character,” Harold says. “Notably so.”

Cassidy stands up. “Jeremiah isn’t showing. Attendance is done for today, I’ll be on my way.” She walks out of the room. She never even got breakfast...

“I think the stress of being team captain is starting to get to her,” Patrick comments.

“She’s been taking on a lot of responsibility,” Harold agrees. “With a rather low success rate...”

“I’ll check in on her today,” I assure. “Make sure she’s okay.”

“...so...you guys heard that announcement today, too, right?” Jess asks. “That offer that Mononuki gave the traitor...”

“Think they’re going to take it up?” Patrick asks, leaning forward on the table.

“I...I don’t know...” Jess admits.

“We still don’t even have any leads on who the traitor might be,” Harold says, adjusting his glasses. “Sure, we can postulate based on personality and assumptions, but the reality of the situation is that it can be any of us. That makes it harder to know who might end up falling for the offer or not...”

“I...I don’t believe any of us would listen to Mononuki, traitor or not,” I say. “If he’s giving us that offer now, then he has to be getting desperate to make us kill each other! We just have to hold out a little longer...”

“Do you have a plan?” Patrick asks. “I mean, no one’s really suggested one besides Nancy, as atrocious as it was. Say no one gives in and murders, what do we do then? Sit around for eternity?”

“I...I don’t know yet...” I admit. “But it’s still better than killing each other.”

“I just...hope we can find a way out of this...” Jess says softly. “I can’t stop thinking about...about that gallery and all that we learned.”

“It was certainly a lot to take in. I wonder who would do something like this to us and what their true motives are...” Harold says.

There has to be some way to make the person running this game come out of hiding and face us. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to move forward, unmasking the mastermind. Maybe I should try to think of something to help with that..?

Breakfast finished up and the last of us walk out of the room. I still had plenty to think about, but I could do that while spending time with the others, right?

[FREE TIME - START]

I managed to find Cassidy in the AV room, currently going through a catalog of movies that could be found behind the large screen. I can’t imagine she’s here to just sit down and enjoy a movie unless those are supposed to be something else..?

I walk over, peering at the films behind Cassidy. They ranged from old VHS to newer Blu-Ray...but none of them seemed to be fully released movies. They were movies from the school, made by faculty and students, and put here for storage.

“Think there’s going to be anything helpful here?” I ask as Cassidy poked around.

“I’m not sure,” she admits,” but I never leave a stone unturned. If there is something of use here, I’ll find it.”

“Right, then I’m going to help out, okay?”

“Have at it. I haven’t started over there.” Cassidy points to the other side of the collection, so I make my way over to begin looking around. I spend some time investigating with Cassidy. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“...so, Cass, I wanted to clarify this...you trust me, right?” I look in her direction. We hadn’t turned up anything actually useful in our investigation, so I thought some conversation wouldn’t hurt.

“Hm...” Cassidy was quiet for a moment, contemplating the question. “...I suppose I do, Wayne. Why?”

“I was just thinking...that I know you have trouble trusting others, but we spend so much time together and you let me do so much work with you that’d we’d be on better standing. So I’m glad that we are.”

“You’re sentimental. I’m not to surprised that something like that would be a good thing.”

It’s getting really hard to know if all these comments about my character were meant to be positive things. “And that’s...good?”

“Of course it’s good,” Cassidy affirms. “I might have a focus on logic and fact, but I understand the emotion and human connection are just as important when it comes to life. It can be incredibly difficult for one person to master both.”

“...so we complement each other in that way, huh?”

“That’s why I let you explore with me all those times. You brought to the table what I didn’t and vice versa.”

That definitely made me feel better. “Well, I think you’re getting better at handling human connection.”

“And you’re getting better with handling evidence, given the way you act in the trials.” Cassidy pauses for a moment. “Though, out of curiosity, why think that?”

I walk over to Cassidy, slinging my arms around her shoulders from behind in a hug. “Because for the last week or so, you’ve been letting me call you Cass with almost no complaints.”

There was another moment of silence between the two of us. During that time, I could see Cassidy’s cheeks heating up. She clears her throat and gently pulls my arms away from her. “...that...stays between us, understand?”

“Understood, _Cass_.” That time, I said it on purpose. I gave her her space again.

I know Cassidy has a hard time trusting others, but once you can get past those walls, there’s a very kind and caring person under it all. Maybe one day, I can help her take them down and let everyone else in. For now, though, it’s just me and her and I was happy with that. I feel like I understand Cassidy a little better now. The two of us really are friends.

We finish the investigation, and while we didn’t turn up with anything, the two of us left satisfied either way.

I walked into the rec room, a little surprised to see Jess had sat down to watch a movie. I guess she was branching off from the hobbies and just relaxing for once.

Jess looks over her shoulder when I had opened the door and smiles brightly upon seeing me. “Wayne, hello! Do you want to come to watch a movie with me? It’s an action flick, I bet you’d love it!”

“Yeah, definitely!” I hope over the back of the couch, landing next to Jess. “I didn’t think you’d be the type to enjoy action movies, though.”

“Ah, well...” Jess smiles sheepishly. I’ve noticed she always does that when she got embarrassed by something. “I’ve never seen one myself. I mostly just watch kids' movies whenever I’m babysitting. I don’t have the time at home.”

Right, with all the work she does, I guess she doesn’t want to risk losing a second. “Well...we can watch a few different genres with all this free time we have. Maybe we’ll find something you like?”

“Here’s hoping!” Jess smiles again and starts the movie she had picked out. I spend some time watching an action movie with Jess. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“Wow...” Jess says, almost mystified. “That was absolutely amazing!” She clasps her hands together with a massive grin. “I’ve never seen anything so heart-rushing and exciting! Wayne, Wayne, let’s watch another!” Jess grabs me by the arm and starts shaking my back and forth.

I couldn’t help but laugh and grab the remote. “Yeah, sure, I’ll put something on this time. I think your kids are rubbing off on you more than you think.”

“...a-aha, do I..?” Jess smiles sheepishly once again. Yep, I went and embarrassed her. Her smile disappears after a moment. “...you know, I don’t mention it much but...it’s hard. Having to grow up so quickly, I mean.”

“Hm..?” Jess mentioned how little time she has to herself. How...long back does that stretch? “I’m guessing you’ve always had to handle responsibility around the house, huh..?”

“Yeah, because...” She trails off. “...well, just because I had to. I had to help somehow. Even if it means no free time, no friends, not having a life, I...I have to...because...” Jess’s voice was starting to waiver, a couple of sobs starting to work their way up. “...it’ll all...fall apart around me if I don’t, you know?” She gives a defeated laugh, gesturing vaguely with her hands. “It’s all...It’s all my responsibility because no one else wants to take it.”

I frown and gently take a hold of one of Jess’s hands. “Hey, it shouldn’t have to be _your_ responsibility. You’re still a kid, you know. It should be your parents helping you out, especially when you’re younger.”

“I...I know that, Wayne. Forcing too much onto a child at a young age can cause them to accept responsibility that can’t possibly be expected to maintain is unhealthy for their development, and that can later lead to self-destructive habits, depression, or general anxiety disorder. It’s...It’s common for a kid who had to take on too much to always feel that weight bearing down on their shoulders all the time and not feeling strong enough to...to bear it. And then every little thing can feel like the whole world is crumbling around them, like...like the floor has just... _collapsed_ from under them. And then everything is just broken and ruined and it’s all their fault because it was their responsibility.”

I...get the feeling Jess isn’t fully talking about the general condition anymore. She was crying and shaking and, at that moment, she seemed so...small. Frail. I pull her into a hug and feel her arms around me almost in an instant. “Let it out, Jess...it’s okay...”

I could feel her bury her face into my shoulder as she sobbed. Whatever Jess’s childhood was like to make her feel like this...she didn’t deserve it. “Jess...you’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met in my life. You shouldn’t have to take on that responsibility. You can’t be expected to handle everything at once.”

“I know...I know...” Jess whimpers. I held her until she stopped crying and sat herself up, slowly wiping the tears away with her hand. “Thank you, Wayne...I’m sorry you had to see me like that, I just...I don’t know where that all came from.”

“Hey, it’s okay, really. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on or someone to confide in, I’m here, alright? Always.”

Jess smiles gently. “I know...thank you.”

Jess was handling so much more than I thought, Not just what she had to do in her daily life, but all these feelings and anxieties toiling away inside of her. It’s not right that someone as nice as her has to bear it all like that. And I know I wanted to be there for her every time the weight was too much to carry alone. I felt like I understand Jess a little better now. The two of us really are friends.

I spend some time watching another two movies with Jess, which definitely seemed to improve her mood. We parted ways once she had her fill of excitement for the day.

I found Harold lingering in the kitchen, brewing himself some tea. He was currently boiling water in an electric kettle he found.

“I didn’t take you for the type to drink tea,” I say as I meet up with him.

“Well, I don’t drink apple juice, Wayne...” From the tone of his voice, I think I was stepping on some raw wounds here. Must not be the first time someone’s said that to him.

“My bad, I didn’t mean anything by it,” I assure. “Can I have some? I started drinking it ‘cause of my sister, I’ve been meaning to have it more.”

“There’s enough in the pot for it, sure.”

Once the water finished boiling, Harold put two teabags in two cups and poured the water into it. I spend some time drinking fresh tea with Harold. The two of us grew a little closer today.

“Mind if I ask you about something?” I ask, cradling my cup in my hands as I simply enjoy the warmth of my drink.

“What did you have in mind?” Harold looks up at me, sipping at his drink.

“Well...I wanted to know what happened the last time you tried to make friends.”

Harold frowns thinly. “I see...” I could tell the subject wasn’t one he was very happy I brought up, but I didn’t get a chance to say anything else before he continued speaking. “I was nine at the time, but I was two grades ahead then. A bunch of petulant children going through puberty wasn’t the best place to stick an easy target for being a social pariah, but I hadn’t quite taken that into account yet.”

Tweens can be the worst when it comes to bullying for sure. Despite being an athlete at that age, fencing wasn’t really what you’d call ‘cool’, so I got my fair share of ribbing for it at the time. I can’t imagine it being better for Harold, though.

“I kept to myself then, too, but...some students in my class reached out to me--invited me to their house to help tutor them, actually. I went and...when I got there, they stole several assignments from me that I had done in advance. Of course, I didn’t realize it, so imagine my surprise when I find out my work was taken by someone else and used for their own advancement.”

“That must have sucked a lot. But the teacher understood, right? Hell, I’m sure you could have just gotten the assignments done in that class and turned them in anyway.”

“The teacher didn’t believe me,” Harold explains. “As it turns out, he’d contacted the students, suspecting they had cheated in some way. But they told him I sold them the assignments and let them take my work. So when I got called in later that same day, I was given a suspension for attempting to create an underground cheating ring. I didn’t get much of a chance to make my case, because the kids all cornered me afterward and threatened to beat me if I got them in trouble for it. I spent the rest of the year as their _lapdog_ when they realized those threats worked...I didn’t make any further attempts to socialize after that. And I skipped another grade, so I wouldn’t have to meet them again.”

“...ah.” I wasn’t really sure how else to respond to that. That has to be an awful thing to deal with; traumatizing, even. No wonder Harold has such an adhesion to older kids if that’s the sort of thing he had to put up with. “I’m...really sorry you had to deal with that, Harold. It must have been awful.”

“Yes, well, most people are. So will you stop bothering me about making friends?”

“...yeah, I will.” I get up and walk over to Harold’s side of the table, pulling him into a hug. “Besides, we’re already friends. So I think that’s good enough.”

“...” Harold flushes a little, clearly embarrassed. He puts one arm around me in a half hug, but pushes me away after a couple of seconds. “Okay, okay, I get it...but thank you, Wayne. I suppose we are friends...in a sense.”

Harold had to deal with some bad people in his life, but I hope he realizes now that it doesn’t have to be that way all the time. He can make good friends and he deserves to. I feel like I understand Harold a little better now. The two of us really are friends.

I smile and sit down again. I talk more with Harold as we finish our tea, parting ways once we had finished.

It was later in the day now. I wasn’t ready for dinner yet, which meant I was on time to go talk to Cassidy about her behavior today. There was something going on with her, whatever it was...

I head to Cassidy’s room and knock on the door. “Hey, Cass, you in there? It’s Wayne.”

The door opens after a moment, Cassidy gesturing for me to enter. I wave to her a little and walk in the room. Her room was the same as ever.

Cassidy takes a seat on the edge of her bed. I decide to sit next to her. “So...about today...”

“I’ve had a lot on my mind lately, Wayne. And with that announcement that played...” Cassidy shakes her head with a frown.

“Cassidy, I think you need to take a break for a while,” I say.

“I don’t need a break, I just--”

“Yes, you do! Look at yourself, Cass. You’re stressed, you’re tired, you’re starting to act differently. This killing game has been a lot, it’s been awful, and now Jeremiah has snapped and Nancy’s outburst yesterday...it’s a lot. You’re dealing with a lot. You need a break.”

Cassidy lets out a soft sigh, her shoulders slumping. “Maybe you’re right. But what about the others? Someone is bound to commit murder, and at the very least, I need to be out there to be on the scene as soon as possible.”

“Do you really think the traitor is going to take that offer..?”

“It’s not just the traitor I’m worried about. Should anyone find their identity now, they’ll be a target for potential retaliation. Nancy and Jeremiah would especially be volatile if they found out...”

I guess I didn’t really think of it that way, but that’s just where Cassidy excelled. She analyzes situations like this from all kinds of angles. And...she was right, too. If those two found out who the traitor is, especially now that they’ve been turned into a threat, who knows how they’ll react...

“I wish we had some kind of plan. I was thinking if there was some way to goad out the mastermind, maybe we’d have a better chance,” I say.

“I’ve thought of that, too. The easiest way might be refusal to play their game, but that hasn’t been working. If we cause any damage to the school that would be able to force them out, we could be killed for rule-breaking. We don’t hold any leverage over them, so there’s nothing to withhold from them. Their cameras are everywhere...whoever did this, whatever group it is, this is a plan they put a lot of thought and resources into.”

I’m not surprised Cassidy spent a lot of time trying to think this over. But what, then? We just...sit around and wait for the next body? I can’t accept that answer. There must be something...but...

“Have you seen Jeremiah around, by any chance?” Cassidy asks me. “I didn’t want to risk finding him, in case he attempted something while we were alone.”

“Oh, uh...no, actually, I haven’t. With how many floors we have in the school now, it’ll be pretty hard to find just one person.”

“With more floors and fewer people, it becomes more difficult to keep track of everyone’s movements, and therefore makes it easier for any plots to be made...”

Whatever Jeremiah is plotting, I don’t know if it’ll be any good. I want to try to help him through this, but I don’t even know where he is or what he’s doing. Maybe I should try to look for him...but there’s something else on my mind.

“...Cass, can I ask you something?”

“You don’t need to ask that, you know. I’m fine with any questions.”

“Your Ultimate talent...what is it? I saw it was written in one of your notes.”

Cassidy frowns softly. “So you did...”

“I-I didn’t mean to read it. I didn’t even fully read the talent, I just saw you wrote it there.”

A soft sigh escapes her lips. “If you’re so desperate to know then...fine. Fine, I’ll tell you. I suppose...I owe it to you, to be honest about something for once.”

For once..? Is she hiding anything else..? “Alright, I’m ready to listen, Cass.”

“...I’m...the Ultimate Criminal Investigator. I worked at a police district to solve open cases. I’d usually handle evidence and collect testimony and suspects.”

“Ah, really..? Ha, well, now that you’ve said it, it seems like the most obvious thing in the world....but what do you mean worked?”

“Exactly what it sounds like I mean. I quit...well, I was discharged, according to papers. After the incident and everything I knew, they couldn’t keep me on the force any longer so they cut me loose. I’m more of a private eye now. But I never wanted to mention that to anyone. Handing out information like that in a strange situation can be life or death, and as things got more escalated, I knew a bigger target would be painted on my back if I started explaining my background.”  
  
So that’s why she hid it for so long. Her own safety...just like Joshua, in fact. Worried about what everything will think and how they’ll react if they knew the truth, so it’s hidden with a lie. “What happened at your job?”

Cassidy frowns, eyes down. “...corruption, infecting the entire precinct, so deeply rooted that the entire thing was rotten to its core. Bribery, false arrests, unethical behavior of all kinds--you name it, at least one officer had committed it. I’d been working on gathering all I could to blow the entire operation open for two years from the inside alongside my father, who’d been a forensics specialist, but...it didn’t last. There was an incident and I was hospitalized. I was discharged and my father was let go. We lost everything and I knew no one would ever believe my story...”

I still feel like I’m missing some pieces to the story here, and that feeling told me it was worse than Cassidy was letting on. “That...That sounds awful, Cassidy. I’m sorry...”

A heavy sigh escapes her. She seemed tired, aged even, after that story. “It’s not your fault, Wayne. That’s just how the world is. Corruption and greed infects everything around us. The precinct was just a symptom, not the cause. Even if I had done what I planned, I know it would have been swept away or rebuilt in the same state.”

“So...even if you’d revealed everything, you really think it would be for nothing..?”

“Just look at this program, Wayne. Look at where we are. Even ignoring the kind of person who would target Ultimate students and set up a game like this, that program is rife with its own greed and corruption. I’ve heard all the rumors, it’s why I came to the school in the first place. Something was wrong here, wrong in the entire program, and it was infecting everything in its path. And...And I planned to do it right this time. Gather all the evidence, blow the entire operation open...and now...we’re here.”

That news article I read...I wonder if Cassidy had something to do with its topics. Could she have succeeded, before this entire game happened? “I...I admit, that this all seems bleak. But I don’t think this kind of darkness can exist without a light in it. This program has helped plenty of people.”

“It hurts them, too,” she retorts. “I mean, if it weren’t for this program, do you think a twelve-year-old girl would have been hired as a cop at a police precinct? The things I had to witness with a job like that, trying to emulate my father...” She trails off for a moment. “...but I suppose this is how it all works. They paint over it all with the positive stories. Famous artists, star athletes, young geniuses--pick your poison. The successful stories come out on top, that’s what everyone sees. And the muck, the filth, the corruption just gets painted over with that fresh coat. You don’t hear about the failures and the harm unless you’re the one experiencing it. Most people don’t have the legal wherewithal to understand the sort of things this program has changed and caused and the way it ripples through each new generation of kids.”

I...can’t blame Cassidy for feeling that way. She’s clearly been through a lot--more than I’ve ever had to go through. She’s used to this kind of distrust and bleakness. It sounds like she grew up with it, had it form who she was. And she’s not wrong, either. I know she’s not, deep down.

“...that’s why we can be better, isn’t it? Take over where others left off. Build something brighter and newer. We don’t have to continue the cycle.”

“Sometimes we do.”

“...huh?”

“...it’s nothing, Wayne. Sorry. I shouldn’t have said so much, you’re just...”

“Easy to talk to?’

“...yeah.” Cassidy stands up. “We have bigger things to worry about than my own problems, though. We need to find Jeremiah before he does something rash. By now, the others should be eating dinner, so we’ll have some privacy to search.”

“Then we’ll do it together.” I stand up, too. “Jeremiah won’t try anything if it’s the two of us, and if he does, I’ll stop him.”

“We’ll sweep the building then, start from the top and work our way down. If he runs, we might be able to corner him in his room that way.”

“Okay. We’re going to get through this, alright, Cass? Together.”

“...let’s go.” Cassidy heads out of her room and I follow behind her. Jeremiah, wherever you are, I hope you haven’t done anything we’ll regret...

We made our way to the lobby, but I paused when I saw Nancy, Harold, and Patrick talking to each other.

“I haven’t seen her for a couple of hours,” Harold says. “Normally she’d be at dinner by now.”

“I haven’t seen Jessica for a while, either. You sure she’s not in her room?” Patrick asks.

“I knocked for a while, I’m sure she isn’t there.”

“Well, maybe she’s just doin’ some chores ‘round here!” Nancy says. “Like bakin’ some more cookies.”

“No, this isn’t like Jessica. I’m getting worried, and ever since that announcement this morning...”

“What’s going on with Jess?” I ask the group, finally stepping over.

“Harold says he hasn’t seen her for a while and he can’t find her,” Patrick explains. “Neither of us have seen her since breakfast, though. What about you?”

“Jess, huh..? I saw her today, but it was a few hours ago.”

“Why don’t we look together?” Cassidy suggests. “Wayne and I were going to do a sweep for Jeremiah.”

“Oh, so now ya wanna invite us t’ stuff?” Nancy asks. “Really fuckin’ generous of ya!”

“If you don’t want to go, then don’t,” Patrick replies snidely.

“Hey, I didn’t say I didn't wanna!”

Cassidy sighs softly and shakes her head. “Come on, we’re starting with the fifth floor. If Jeremiah tries to run from us, try to herd him down here so we can corner him in his room.”

“If he’s done anything to Jessica...” Harold mutters.

I gently put a hand on Harold’s shoulder. “Hey, we’ll find her, don’t worry. Come on.” The five of us make our way to the staircase, walking up to the fifth floor. I couldn’t help but feel a knotting dread as we climbed farther up, and as we reach the fourth-floor landing...

“Is...that blood..?” Harold asks.

Sure enough, there was blood pooled along the landing. It went up the fifth-floor stairs and disappeared into the hall from there. What...happened here..?

“Jessica! Are you up there?!” Harold breaks away from the group to run up the stairs.

“Harold, wait!” I chase after him quickly, trying to catch him. When did he get so fast?!

I was aware of the others rushing behind me, but my focus was on Harold, who was following the blood trail. It went into the auditorium, so the rest of us did, too.

The trail continues down the aisle and up onto the stage, disappearing under the drawn curtain. We all move to the other side of it to follow the trail, seeing where it just...stopped. There was a pool of it on the ground, but no body to be found. It was just gone.

“W...Where..?” Harold seemed dumbfounded, scanning around the dark backstage.

I walk over to the blood in the center and kneel down next to it, frowning softly. “It’s still fresh...”

I could hear Cassidy’s heels clicking on the wooden stage as she approached me. “Wayne, I think you should...”

Something warm and red dripped onto the back of my hand as Cassidy spoke. “Huh..? What the..?” I look up and immediately scream.

Dangling above us by their ankles were **Jeremiah Dawson, the Ultimate Author,** and **Jessica Watanabe, the Ultimate Babysitter** , with the blood dripping down Jeremiah’s head and face into the growing pool at my feet.


	39. Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish - Deadly Life Investigation

**Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish [Deadly Life - START]**

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in front of me. There were...two people? Two corpses? This must be a sick joke. This...This has to be a mistake! Why...Why two..?

“JESSICA!” Harold cries out. I could feel the desperation in his voice, his face pale and his body shaking.

“In...just a day...” Cassidy says softly. “In just one day, the traitor already...”

**DING-DONG~! BING-BONG~!**

The screens across the school flicker to life, Mononuki seated on screen. “Oh, uh...looks like you found a body, everyone. Well, you know how it goes. Investigate and then the trial when I’m ready.”

“Why..?” Harold says meekly, starting to cry. “Jessica...why..?”

This was...This was awful. I just couldn’t accept this. No one has ever killed two people, not once in this game. It felt like such a waste of life. And...it was all so the traitor could escape..?

“...hm.” Patrick hums softly, staring up at Jess.

“The hell’re ya doin’?” Nancy growls. “Got somethin’ snarky ya wanna say ‘bout her? Cause I’ll pummel yer face in if you do!”

“Shut up,” Patrick responds. “I just thought it was odd what Mononuki said just now.”

“It was the body discovery announcement, what’s so odd about it?” I ask, trying to hold back my own tears

The cosplayer sighs gently. “Mononuki said, and I quote, ‘you found _a_ body’. Seems like an odd mistake to make.”

“Everyone also happens to be accounted for,” Cassidy says. “And yet, the traitor should have been allotted freedom for the deaths of two students, correct?”

“So...So what’re ya sayin’?” Nancy asks. “Is Jessie alive..?!”

“Well, that’s what I was trying to find out. Best way to do that is cut her down, so I’m trying to follow the rope.”

“...it’s that one,” Cassidy says as she walks over to a part of the wall that had hooks on it, several of which had ropes tied onto them. She unties the rope and makes sure to slowly lower it down, letting Jess lay on the ground gently.

Harold was on her in a second, not bothering to hide the fact that he was openly sobbing. He shakes her, his hands squeezing her shoulders. “Jessica! Wake up! Please!”

“...mmnngh...” A soft groan escapes Jess. “Harold..? Where...Where am--oof!”

Harold let go of Jess just to wrap his arms tightly around her stomach and sob into her chest. “Oh god, Jessica, I thought... _hic_...I thought you’d left me, too!”

I could feel relief wash over me seeing the scene before me. As sad as it was to see Harold like that, the mere fact that Jess was alive was enough to wash away any other feelings, if only for a moment.

“Left you..?” Jess’s hand gently moves to rest on Harold’s back, her eyes slowly opening. She winces a bit, putting one hand to her nose--now on the ground, I could see that it was bleeding-- before using it to shield her eyes from the stage lights above her. “Why would you think that..? I’m not--” She moved her hand away, only for her eyes to widen and her familiar scream cut through the air as she saw Jeremiah above her. “ _KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!_ ”

Patrick gets Jess back to her feet, Harold not letting go of her as she did. She looked uneven on her feet, her hand going to her head. It didn’t help that she was shaking. “I’m taking her to the infirmary,” Patrick says, leading the two out of the room.

Nancy watches them leave, then looks up at Jeremiah’s body with a scowl. “Dude, what the fuck..? This is messed up.”

I frown. “Yeah...I’m just glad Jess is alive.” Not unscathed, I’m sure, but she’s alive. “But...Jeremiah...”

“Oh yeah, Jeremiah...” Mononuki says with a yawn. “Mm...I’ve got something for that...”

The tanuki was behind us now, standing on the edge of the stage. “I’ve unlocked your Monofiles, everyone. Please read them to your heart’s content...”

“Why d’ya have t’ show up just t’ say that?” Nancy huffs. “I hate seein’ your stupid rat face!”

“Because I like _pissing off_ you annoying little brats!” Mononuki hisses back at her.

“Urk--!” Nancy was taken back by that, stepping away from the robot. “Christ...when the hell’d you get so fuckin’ creepy..?”

“Hm...good luck, everyone.” Mononuki turns and waddles away with a yawn.

“Just try to ignore him, Nance. We have bigger fish to fry.” I let out a soft sigh and pull my handbook out of my pocket, opening up the latest Monofile.

_Monofile #5_

_The victim of this case is Jeremiah Dawson, the Ultimate Author. Jeremiah’s body was found in the auditorium. The cause of death was a broken neck. Jeremiah also suffered a broken nose ridge. He also experienced blunt force trauma to the back of his head. Time of death is estimated to be 4:19 pm. Found by Jessica, Wayne, and Harold._

We have everything available that we usually do. Jeremiah...what the hell happened to you..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Monofile #5**

_Monofile #5_

_The victim of this case is Jeremiah Dawson, the Ultimate Author. Jeremiah’s body was found in the auditorium. The cause of death was a broken neck. Jeremiah also suffered a broken nose ridge. He also experienced blunt force trauma to the back of his head. Time of death is estimated to be 4:19 pm. Found by Jessica, Wayne, and Harold._

I look up again at the body hanging over us. “H...Hey, Cass, can you get him down?”

“Sure. It looks like it’s this rope...” Cassidy starts untying another rope, gently lowering Jeremiah to the ground like she had with Jess. I venture closer to the corpse, taking a deep breath to calm myself so I didn’t panic.

Jeremiah’s body wasn’t in the best condition. Blood covered his face and head from the two wounds he sustained, which were consistent with the Monofile. It also soaked through his clothes. His neck was also crooked, the skin around it dark and swollen. He had a look of panic on his face, his mouth hanging open in a silent scream. I shudder, putting a hand over my mouth. God...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Jeremiah’s Body**

_Jeremiah’s wounds are consistent with that on the Monofile. He’s covered in his own blood and has a look of wild panic on his face._

I squat down next to Jeremiah. He must have been up to something before he was attacked. Maybe there’s some kind of information on his person that can help us...but even so, I couldn’t force my hands forward to start looking through his coat. The last time I touched a corpse was Betty and...and I never want to experience that again.

Cassidy walks over and squats down next to me. “I’ve got it,” she assures gently. She starts going through Jeremiah’s pockets. She manages to fish a piece of paper out of the right pocket of his pants. It looks like the blood soaked through them, though, because it was staining most of the paper. I could still make out a part of it, though.

_The traitor’s identity is _a______

“...hey, is that from your notepad, Cassidy?” I ask. “It must be the page he stole. Did you find the identity of the traitor?”

Cassidy frowns, brows furrowed. “...we’ll talk about it in the trial.” She slips the paper back where she found it and gets to her feet. What was with the sudden coldness..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Stolen Page**

_Jeremiah had stolen one of the pages from Cassidy’s notepad. Most of it was soaked in blood, but I could still make out a part that reads: The traitor’s identity is _a______

I stand up again, too. I guess that’s all there was to be found on Jeremiah’s body. Cassidy and Nancy were both looking around the room, so I decided to do the same.

One thing I noticed was the curtain. It was closed, leaving most of the stage obscured. It definitely hadn’t been closed before, so...someone had to have done that themselves. Another thing I noticed was a coil of rope sitting in front of the entrance of the curtain, the end of which was tied into a noose. It was still going up to the ceiling, to the catwalk. The end of it was tied around a large sandbag, though it seemed to have been emptied out, leaving it flat. The sand that used to be in it sat in a messy pile on the stage now.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Closed Curtains**

_The giant curtains in the auditorium had been pulled closed._

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Rope**

_A coil of rope sat just behind the closed curtains. They had been attached to a once-full sandbag._

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Pile of Sand**

_A messy pile of sand was on the floor. Presumably, it came from a sandbag._

I noticed something else on the ground, which was incredibly out of place. It looked like the saber that had been sitting at my pedestal in the gallery. It was clean, at least, but why was it out here..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Saber**

_The award saber from my gallery pedestal was sitting on the auditorium stage_.

I didn’t like the idea of a fencing saber being used for murder, but...it’s not my saber, thankfully.

I decide to go over to Nancy. “Hey, Nance, mind if I ask what you’ve been up to today? I’m hoping to figure out if anyone’s seen Jeremiah lately.”

“Eh, haven’t seen him since yesterday,” Nancy says. “I was just workin’ out for a bit since I didn’t get a chance last night. Went back t’ my room t’ shower after, and when I was done with that, I ran into Harry and Pat talkin’ ‘bout Jessie on my way t’ dinner.”

Someone around here has to know what Jeremiah has been up to, right..? There’s no way no one hasn’t even heard from him. Still, I should keep Nancy’s words in mind. “Alright, Nance, thank you. I’ll let you know if I need anything else.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Nancy’s Testimony**

_Nancy hasn’t seen Jeremiah at all. She’s been working out all day and went to her room to shower. After that, she met up with Harold and Patrick in the lobby on her way to dinner._

I walk over to Cassidy next. She was looking over her notes at the moment. She was still keeping all those torn ones on hand.

“Hey, Cass, why are you still carrying those notes around?” I ask. “The ones Jeremiah ripped out.”

She looks up at me with a frown. “Because I need them. They’re...important.”

“Alright, sorry. I was just a little curious.” Is...every note she’s written really that important? I wonder...ah, wait, there is one I remember reading. DIdn’t it say... _You’re currently 16 years old and a freshman at Sterling Heights Academy. You are the Ultimate C--_

I’m sure it said more, but that’s all I saw. I know now the rest said ‘Ultimate Criminal Investigator’ but...it’s odd, isn’t it? It seems like Cassidy had written down basic information about herself. Why would she need that..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Cassidy’s Notes**

_Cassidy has been taking notes since the beginning of the killing game. Jeremiah ripped several pages out of her notepad, but she still keeps them all together. She looks at them often. I managed to read one, and it said: You’re currently 16 years old and a freshman at Sterling Heights Academy. You are the Ultimate C[riminal Investigator.]_

“Oh, Wayne, I wanted to ask you something. Were you the one who put that newspaper clipping into my evidence?”

“Hm..? Yeah, but I thought that had already come with it.”

Cassidy frowns softly and shakes her head. “No, it hadn’t. I’ve never seen it before. But if you don’t know, then it’s fine. Just thought I’d ask”

Huh...I wonder...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Newspaper Clipping**

_The newspaper clipping from Cassidy’s evidence collection wasn’t hers. She’s never seen it before._

It seems like that was all I could find in the room at the moment. I could guess that the saber in the gallery wasn’t there anymore, so the next obvious place to investigate would be the stairwell.

The stairwell smelled so strongly of copper, it was almost suffocating it. There was a lot of blood here, pooled at the bottom of the flight and a lot of it trailing up the stairs, which all lead to the auditorium. Ugh, it was so sickening...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Blood Trail**

_A trail of blood starts at the fourth-floor landing in a massive pool and goes all the way to the auditorium stage._

I make my way to the bottom of the steps. Something was glinting in the light. I squat down closer to look it over. It was a pair of glasses, one of the lenses cracked and the frame a bit twisted. Huh, I think these were Jeremiah’s...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Jeremiah’s Glasses**

_Jeremiah’s glasses are sitting at the fourth-floor landing in a pool of blood. They’re damaged badly._

There was something else I noticed after a moment. A balled-up piece of paper was in the corner of the landing, a bit hard to see against the clean white floor. I pick it up and smooth it out as best I could so I could read it over.

_I know what you are, traitor. Come to the auditorium at 4:00 pm or I’ll make sure to tell everyone all about you. Don’t leave me waiting. I have what you stole._

I frown thinly. Was this a threat..? The writing was in a very neat, practiced script.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Threatening Note**

I note written in good penmanship was balled up in the corner of the fourth-floor stairwell. It read: _I know what you are, traitor. Come to the auditorium at 4:00 pm or I’ll make sure to tell everyone all about you. Don’t leave me waiting. I have what you stole._

I put the note back where I found it. It seemed like that’s all the stairwell had, so I make my way down to the nurse’s office instead. I wanted to check in on Jess, make sure she was okay.

Jess was sitting on one of the beds in the nurse’s office. Harold was right next to her, still hugging her as his body shook. Patrick leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed over his chest.

I walk over to Jess, who looks up at me as I enter. Her eyes were wet with fresh tears and she was holding an ice pack to her head. There was also some tissue in her nose. “W-Wayne, is it true..? Is...Jeremiah..?”

I look away, frowning. “...yeah. He’s dead. There...wasn’t anything we could do.”

Jess looks down, fighting back tears. “Again...why...did it have to happen again..?”

I didn’t have an answer for her. I know there wasn’t any answer that could be satisfying. Jeremiah was dead, and someone here had to have done it, meaning...meaning we were going to have to watch someone else die. Those were the rules here...

“Jess, can you tell me anything that might be able to help? What happened to you today?”

“What...happened to me...” Jess winces a bit and adjusts the icepack. “It’s...hard to remember without my head hurting. I was with Harold for a while, but I left. I went to the stairwell for...some reason. I remember someone fighting in the stairwell, and then there was a crash. I went upstairs to check on it and...” She frowns. “...I don’t recall what I saw, but I remember going into the auditorium for some reason. I pulled back the curtain and...that’s the last thing I remember before waking up on the floor. Harold says I was hanging from the air like...like Jeremiah....”

Maybe she’ll be able to recall more once her head starts to hurt less. I hope so, anyway. For now, at least we have some idea of what she was up to. “Thanks, Jess. Just keep resting for now.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Jess’s Testimony**

_Jess had been with Harold for a while before going to the stairwell. Jess heard fighting in the stairwell, followed by a crash. She went to investigate it but can’t remember what she saw. She ended up in the auditorium afterward and looked behind the curtain on the stage. It’s the last thing she remembers. She was found hanging in the air above the stage by her ankle and woke up once we got her down._

“Ah, hey, your nose...what happened to it?” I ask her. “I don’t think I noticed it bleeding before now.”

“Huh? Oh, right...” Jess frowns softly. “I don’t know...by the time I’d gotten down here, I noticed how swollen my nose was and it started bleeding. It must have been going for a little while, at least.”

Hm...so it wasn’t just a hit to the head that Jess got, then?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Jess’s Nosebleed**

_Jess had a nosebleed when she woke up. It must have been like that for a while._

Harold didn’t seem to be in much condition for talking right now, so I go to Patrick instead. “Hey, mind if we chat a bit?”

“About?” He looks down at me, but his eyes kept glancing back over to Jess.

“I...want to know what you’ve been doing at night. Jeremiah said before that you’ve been walking around after the nighttime announcements, and I saw you out of bed today, too...”

“Hm.” Patrick is quiet for several more seconds and I honestly wasn’t sure if he was going to even respond to me. “...I’ll confirm that I have been ignoring Cassidy’s ruling, but what I do at night isn’t relevant to this case. I think we can confirm that Jeremiah’s death is recent enough that I couldn’t have performed it at night if that’s your implication.”

“Okay...” But I should keep this in mind anyway. There’s no way to know what is or isn’t relevant.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Patrick’s Nighttime Activities**

_Patrick leaves his room often after the nighttime announcement plays. He won’t say what he’s doing at that time._

The next place I had in mind was the bedrooms. Jeremiah’s seemed like a safe bet to me. If he found anything at all, it might be there, so I head into his room.

Jeremiah’s room was outfitted with a collection of his books, first and foremost. He had a laptop sitting on his bed, flicking over a manuscript he’d never finish. I didn’t want to be here longer than I needed to, or else I’d just keep thinking about it...

I start going through Jeremiah’s room. I manage to find something tucked away in his dresser. It looked like a key of some kind. I wonder what it’s for..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Key**

_There’s a strange key in Jeremiah’s dresser._

I put the key back for now. I didn’t see anything else of note in Jeremiah’s dresser, so I decide to leave the room.

I couldn’t think of anywhere else I should go that might yield clues. I could try scavenging the school for anything else, but there was just so much of it now. I’d either overlook something or run out of time. So then what should I...

“Um...” Mononuki’s voice comes over the speakers around the school. “So, I’m getting kind of bored and I think this trial is shaping up to be something fun. Head to the elevator, it’s time for the trial.”

I let out a sigh. Guess I was right, in the end. I make my way to the stairwell, entering the elevator alongside the others. Jess had taken the ice pack with her, which she kept against her head. Harold clutched onto her dress tightly, still refusing to leave her side. I wonder if we’d ever be able to pry those two apart now.

Once we were all inside, the elevator doors close and it begins moving down. The traitor...are they really the killer? And if they are, who are they? It could be any one of us. They tried to kill two people, but they failed, and now they have to face the music...but would the answer really be that simple? It rarely was.

The elevator eventually comes to a halt, allowing all of us to step out. This was it. No turning back now! The fifth class trial has begun..!


	40. Trial 5 Truth Bullets

Truth Bullets

**Truth Bullet: Monofile #5**

_ Monofile #5 _

_ The victim of this case is Jeremiah Dawson, the Ultimate Author. Jeremiah’s body was found in the auditorium. The cause of death was a broken neck. Jeremiah also suffered a broken nose ridge. He also experienced blunt force trauma to the back of his head.Time of death is estimated to be 4:19 pm. Found by Jessica, Wayne, and Harold. _

**Truth Bullet: Jeremiah’s Body**

_ Jeremiah’s wounds are consistent with that on the Monofile. He’s covered in his own blood and has a look of wild panic on his face. _

**Truth Bullet: Stolen Page**

_ Jeremiah had stolen one of the pages from Cassidy’s notepad. Most of it was soaked in blood, but I could still make out a part that read: The traitor’s identity is _a_____ _

**Truth Bullet: Closed Curtains**

_ The giant curtains in the auditorium had been pulled closed. _

**Truth Bullet: Rope**

_ A coil of rope sat just behind the closed curtains. They had been attached to a once-full sandbag. _

**Truth Bullet: Pile of Sand**

_ A messy pile of sand was on the floor. Presumably, it came from a sandbag. _

**Truth Bullet: Saber**

_ The award saber from my gallery pedestal was sitting on the auditorium stage _ .

**Truth Bullet: Nancy’s Testimony**

_ Nancy hasn’t seen Jeremiah at all. She’s been working out all day and went to her room to shower. After that, she met up with Harold and Patrick in the lobby on her way to dinner. _

**Truth Bullet: Cassidy’s Notes**

_ Cassidy has been taking notes since the beginning of the killing game. Jeremiah ripped several pages out of her notepad, but she still keeps them all together. She looks at them often. I managed to read one, and it said: You’re currently 16 years old and a freshman at Sterling Heights Academy. You are the Ultimate C[riminal Investigator.] _

**Truth Bullet: Newspaper Clipping**

_ The newspaper clipping from Cassidy’s evidence collection wasn’t hers. She’s never seen it before. _

**Truth Bullet: Blood Trail**

_ A trail of blood starts at the fourth floor landing in a massive pool and goes all the way to the auditorium stage. _

**Truth Bullet: Jeremiah’s Glasses**

_ Jeremiah’s glasses are sitting at the fourth floor landing in a pool of blood. They’re damaged badly. _

**Truth Bullet: Threatening Note**

I note written in good penmanship was balled up in the corner of the fourth floor stairwell. It read:  _ I know what you are, traitor. Come to the auditorium at 4:00 pm or I’ll make sure to tell everyone all about you. Don’t leave me waiting. I have what you stole. _

**Truth Bullet: Jess’s Testimony**

_ Jess heard fighting in the stairwell, followed by a crash. She went to investigate it but can’t remember what she saw. She ended up in the auditorium afterward and looked behind the curtain on the stage. It’s the last thing she remembers. She was found hanging in the air above the stage by her ankle and woke up once we got her down. _

**Truth Bullet: Jess’s Nosebleed**

_ Jess had a nosebleed when she woke up. It must have been like that for a while. _

**Truth Bullet: Patrick’s Nighttime Activities**

_ Patrick leaves his room often after the nighttime announcement plays. He won’t say what he’s doing at that time. _

**Truth Bullet: Key**

_ There’s a strange key in Jeremiah’s dresser. _


	41. Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish - Deadly Life Trial Part I

There were two more portraits now, one for Rick and one for Jeremiah. Rick’s portrait had his face crossed out with what looked like two horseshoes--one on top of the other--in order to form an X. Jeremiah’s face was crossed out with a large blocky X, the kind you might expect to start off a chapter in an old story.

Mononuki wasn’t sleeping through the trial this time. He was sitting up right, fully aware and watching over us. I couldn’t read his expression, but that only left a pit in my stomach. He’s quiet, simply waiting for us to begin.

“We...already know who the killer is, don’t we?” Jess asks softly.

“We do?!” Nancy asks.

“It...It has to be the traitor, right? I mean...who else would try killing two people..?”

“But we don’t know the identity of the traitor,” Patrick adds. “And your memory is too on the fritz to tell us who attacked you.”

Jess’s head droops a bit. “I know...sorry...”

“I don’t think we should go as far as to say that the traitor and the killer are the one and the same,” Cassidy warns. “I think we should have learned from past experience that the first suspect isn’t always the right one.”

“So, what, we’re just gonna ignore it?!” Nancy demands. “C’mon, even if it ain’t the traitor, I know they got somethin’ to do with this entire mess!”

“Look, we can cross that road when we get there,” Harold says finally. “For now, I suggest we just carry on like usual. If the traitor is involved with this case at all, I’m sure we’ll be able to figure it out.”

“And if we don’t?”

“...let’s hope that’s not the case.”

A somber air fills the room. The traitor...are they really responsible for this..? If they are, then I’ll make sure we find out for everyone’s sake!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Right, so, we always start with talking about the body, don’t we?” Jess asks.

“We have all of the **usual information** in the Monofile,” Harold adds. “We have a longer autopsy report than usual. Jeremiah seems to have suffered substantial damage to his head.”

“A broken nose, a broken neck, and a cracked open head,” Patrick recalls. “Someone must have really **wanted him dead**.”

“Nngh...I’m going to be sick just thinking about it...” Jess whimpers.

“I think the most important question to consider right now is where Jeremiah was killed,” Cassidy says, flipping through her notes.

“Obviously, he was killed in the **auditorium**!” Nancy demands.

Killed...in the auditorium? That might be where we found the body, but does that necessarily mean that’s where he died?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Jeremiah’s Glasses**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“Fuckin’...ugh, wahtever!” Nancy throws her hands up in defeat.

“Well...maybe he was killed in the auditorium,” I admit, if only to relax Nancy. “But that’s definitely not where he was when he was first attacked. He had to have been in the stairwell to begin with. I found his glasses laying at the bottom of it, soaked in blood. Then he was moved to the auditorium to be...hanged in the air...”

“Maybe he was attacked trying to run away,” Jess suggests. “He...He could have had a run in with the killer...”

“...do you suppose the killer had a weapon of some kind?” Patrick asks. “If they did, it would have been simple to leap onto Jeremiah from the staircase and simply assault him until he was unconscious.”

A weapon, huh..? “I don’t remember seeing any kind of weapons to cause blunt force trauma. And a blow to the head that bad would need something like that, wouldn’t it..?”

“I didn’t see anything of that nature, either,” Cassidy admits. “There was a saber on the ground, but it was remarkably clean. It’s not made for the type of damage done to Jeremiah, in any case.”

“Then, the weapon, what is it..?” Jess asks softly. “If there isn’t anything around that could be used as a weapon then...what was able to do something like that to Jeremiah..?”

Hm...there’s no clear weapon around. Jeremiah was hit hard enough to cause a lot of bleeding. Something to do that would be too big for any of us to hide on our person and probably be soaked in blood. So then what could it be..?

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Saber

>Rope

>Staircase

_... >Staircase_

“It has to be that!” I declare. “I think the thing that was used to attack Jeremiah...was the staircase!”

“Eh..?” Nancy puts a hand on her hips. “Dude, ya can’t pick up a staircase and hit someone with it, y’know!”

“That’s clearly not what he’s suggesting,” Patrick responds. “He’s saying that Jeremiah was pushed down the stairs.”

“All of that blood pooled up at the bottom must have been from when his head finally hit the end,” I say. “He even could have broken his neck during the fall...”

“So it was a sneak attack...” Nancy grumbles.

“Why...Why would the traitor want to do that to Jeremiah..?” Jess asks. “It sounds almost like they were stalking him and...and waiting for a chance to strike!”

“Could there be a reason Jeremiah was picked?” Harold asks. “The traitor has a clear motive, a reason to kill any one of us. Who’s to say that Jeremiah died for any reason beyond convenience?”

Was this a purposeful attack or a random chance target? There was one way to determine that...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“This could have just been a random attack,” Harold says. “Jeremiah was in the **wrong place at the wrong time.** ”

“After the way he reacted in the cafeteria, though? Killing Jeremiah of all people seems to be a bit more **premeditated** than that,” Patrick ponders.

“Well...I guess it would be kinda hard to get the jump on ‘im with **nowhere t’ hide**...” Nancy grumbles.

“But...I mean, even if he really was targeted, why him?” Jess asks. “Sure, he...he said what he did, but there wasn’t any reason to think he was **targeting someone** , was there..?”

Jeremiah...was he really targeting someone? Maybe he was...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Threatening Note**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“E-Eep!” Jess lets out a small squeak of surprise. “It...It is..?”

“I’m fairly certain of it, anyway. I found a note crumbled up in the corner of the stairwell. It seemed to be threatening the traitor into coming out, saying he’d ‘tell everyone’ and he ‘had what they stole’. It sounds like he knew exactly who he was targeting.”

“And you’re certain he wrote that note?” Patrick asks. “You don’t think he was the one that _received_ it?”

“The handwriting looked pretty close to what I’d expect from him.--professional, practiced script. He didn’t sign it, but one look at it could tell me it was his note.”

“Well, he’s not really here any longer for us to compare his handwriting,” Patrick huffs. “...but I’ll accept the answer, for now, at least.”

“Wait, but how’d he figure out who t’ send it to?” Nancy asks. “What if he just like...gave it t’ someone random.”

“Why would he do that?” Patrick sighs.

“Uh, maybe he was tryin’a scare ‘em out! I bet he woulda sent that letter t’ everyone ‘a us if his first guess was wrong!”

Well...Nancy’s theory doesn’t sound impossible. But maybe there’s some way to figure out what exactly was going on here.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Jeremiah was on a hunt **for answers** and **for the traitor** ,” Cassidy says. “Even in his state, I don’t see why he’d do it so inefficiently.”

“He could have been desperate,” Jess says. “Maybe after that announcement played, he wanted to weed them out as quickly as possible by scaring them into it...”

“It would make sense to write that note if Jeremiah actually had something pointing to the traitor,” Harold corrects. “But that’s just the thing. He **didn’t have any evidence** against the traitor. If he did, he would have gone after them far sooner, don’t you think?”

Ah, wait, no. Jeremiah did have someone to target when it came to who the traitor was thanks to...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Stolen Note**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“Urk!” Harold scowls, clutching his hand into a tight fist. “Wh-What..?”

“Jeremiah did have a target in mind, someone he believed to be the traitor. He stole one of Cassidy’s notes, where she had written down the name of the person she suspected to be the traitor.”

“Wait, she did?!” Jess demands. “Then...Then who was it?!”

“I...couldn’t tell,” I admit. “The paper got soaked in Jeremiah’s blood, so the name was obscured. All I could see was the letter ‘a’ near the beginning of the name.”

“So what you’re saying is, our one clue keeps everyone a suspect except for Jessica and the deceased,” Patrick drolls. “Wonderful...”

“Why don’t we just ask Cassidy?” Harold suggests. “They’re her notes, she should have no issue telling us who the traitor is.”

All eyes turn to the investigator. She glances up at us all from her notepad, but she’s silent.

“...well?” Nancy asks. “Whose fuckin’ name didja write?”

“...ah...well...that would be...” Cassidy frowns thinly, starting to flip through the pages of her notepad.

Is Cassidy stalling? She should know the answer but...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Hey, are ya deaf?!” Nancy demands forcefully. “Whose name didja write?!”

“It’s...er...” Cassidy frowns, gritting her teeth a little.

“Hey, Cass, is...everything okay..?” I ask tentatively.

“Maybe the note was **misconstrued,** ” Patrick suggests. “Could be an honest mistake.”

“I’m...not sure sure...” Jess says gently.

“I... **I forgot** ,” Cassidy says, finally. “That’s all...”

She...forgot? Something that she wrote in her own notes? Why do I have a hard time believing in that..?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Cassidy’s Notes**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

Cassidy looks up at me, shock on her face. “Ex...cuse me..?”

“How can you say you forgot?” I press on. “Cassidy, you check your notes every single day. You’re always looking through them or writing something new down. And you just forgot?”

“That’s...well...” Cassidy was back to frowning, flipping through her notes more frantically.

“It does seem strange that you’d forget what you wrote on a simple note,” Patrick agrees. “Especially one that you lost so recently that seemed so important.”

“Nngh...mm...” Cassidy’s brows furrow, intensely studying the pages of her notes. “What...What is..?”

“We know Jeremy snatched onna them,” Nancy says. “Even I saw him run off with it, the fuckin’ prick. Leavin’ me there to take his stupid punishment...”

“Cass, hey...what’s wrong?” I ask.

“...who...did this..?” Cassidy asks with a strained voice.

“Did what..?” Jess asks softly.

“Someone...Someone...” Cassidy was barely holding onto herself now. Her lips peel back into a grimace, sweat beginning to drip down her face. She snaps her notepad shut in tight hands. “WHO TAMPERED WITH MY NOTES?!”

The oppressive rage flooding into the air was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. Cassidy has gotten mad and she’s lost her cool, but...but never like this.

“W...Wait..?” Harold sputters. “That’s all you have to say?”

“Step forward, NOW!” Cassidy demands. “One of you has been in my room and changed my notes and I want to know who!”

“Hold on just a second there,” Patrick says. “Why are you only just asking this now..?”

“W...What..?” Cassidy responds weakly.

“If your notes were really changed, it’d have to be in your sleep. Which means, at the very least, they’ve been different all day. But only now are you noticing any discrepancies?”

“Just...answer me, one of you. Who did this..? Who changed my notes?!”

“Cassidy, I think you need to answer us first,” I say. “You’ve been acting strange lately, and it’s only been getting worse. You seem to act different all the time, your answers to situations change, your behavior switches between cold and open, and now you’re forgetting things that you shouldn’t. What’s...going on?”

“It’s...It’s none of your business,” Cassidy says. “I shouldn’t have to answer you! I expect decent respect for my things and my privacy and...and whatever _this_ ,” she holds up her notepad, “is supposed to be...I have drawn the line!”

Cassidy...something’s definitely going on. Whatever this secret it is your holding, I think it’s something that needs to be addressed. We need to understand you and your notes if we’re going to get anywhere. I need to breathe and think. There must be an answer to what Cassidy isn’t telling us...I just need to think about it. What could cause Cassidy to act like she hit a reset button every time she got up..?

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

_______

Am_e__a

_Amnesia_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I declare. “Cassidy, please, tell me the truth...do you need those notes because of amnesia?”

“W-Wayne...you...” Cassidy was seething, her boiling rage coming near a second eruption.

“That would account for a lot of your odd behaviors,” Harold suggests. “If I recall, there is a type of amnesia that causes people to forget their memories in their sleep. They tend to revert back to the last thing they recall before some sort of incident took place. That would also explain why those notes are so important to you--they’re essentially your memories.”

“Isn’t that type of amnesia from a movie, though?” Patrick asks.

“Yes, but there have been recorded cases of its existence. It’s rare, but possible.”

“If Cassidy has that type of amnesia, then it would account for a lot of things,” I say. “Maybe now we can try to use her notes to--”

“Where’s the evidence?!” Cassidy demands suddenly, cutting me off.

“H...Huh?” I ask softly. “What do you--”

“You can’t make a substantial claim like this without _evidence_ , Wayne.” Cassidy’s expression appeared calmer, but the unmistakable heaviness in the air still existed. “If you can’t provide evidence of this, then I kindly suggest you _shut up._ ”

I can tell Cassidy isn’t going to let this slide so easily. I don’t blame her. This must be something she carries with her every day and refuses to tell anyone about. But to be able to understand her and her notes, we have to find out how she ticks if we want any hope of using them to our advantage. I know my answer has to be right, and I know there’s a way to prove it!

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“You better stop this idiocy this instant! You need evidence of your claim!”_ /

/ _“Without evidence, you’re grasping at straws. I won’t accept answers like that, Wayne!”_ /

/ _“You don’t know **what kind of notes I write** , you have no place to tell everyone what they’re for!”_/

**LOAD Truth Blade: Cassidy’s Notes**

“Cassidy, that’s not true. I managed to get a look at one of your notes the other day--uh, sorry about that, by the way--and what was written on it was the exact evidence I need to be able to know that my answer makes sense.”

[ADVANCE]

/ _“I have so many notes, how could you possibly make that deduction based on one of them?”_ /

/ _“Evidence must be strong and indisputable to make a claim just as powerful.”_ /

/ _“You might have seen a note, but **it alone can’t be enough** to prove anything!”_/

**LOAD Truth Blade: Cassidy’s Notes**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I cry out.

“G-Ghhh!” Cassidy staggers back. “But...where’s your evidence..?”

“You never let me say what I saw on the note I read over. On one of your notes, you listed your age, the fact that you were going to this school, and your talent. Why would you need to list _basic information_ about yourself that you would inherently know?”

“It...It’s just...my notes. I just take notes of things that could be important so...so...”

“But something that basic? Something that you should know all on your own, just by living your life? Why would you need to keep track of it for any reason other than you have to?!”

“That...I-It’s...I just...” Cassidy flips rapidly through her notes, as if an answer would lie within them. Her hands were trembling and it was starting to spread through her entire body.

“Hand over your notes,” Patrick says. “We’ve gotten to our conclusion and we should be allowed to see them, now that they’re so relevant.”

“H...Hhh...haaa...” Cassidy’s notes fall from her hands, the loose papers scattering at her feet on top of the notepad. She falls to her knees, her hands pressed to her temples. “ _AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHH!_ ”

I break away from my podium immediately to rush over to Cassidy and help her back to her feet. She felt weak in my arms as I got her standing again, her body leaning against me. God, she’s shaking...

Cassidy moves away from me to lean on the podium instead. I quickly scoop up her notes to try and give back to her, but Patrick came over to take them from me before I could. “Hey!” I quickly look to face him.

“F...Forget it...” Cassidy says softly. She fumbles in her pocket and pulls out a small pill bottle. She opens it and takes one out, putting it in her mouth and swallowing dry. “...ha...just let him read them. It doesn’t matter...”

I frown softly. “Alright...” Once I was sure Cassidy was standing on her feet steadily, I return to my podium.

While Patrick skimmed over Cassidy’s notes, I could see Jess was concerned over the entire ordeal. “Cassidy, are you alright? You sounded like you were in pain...”

“I’m...fine for now,” Cassidy says softly. “I just get these...migraines when I get too stressed out. I just need a moment, I took some medication I’ve been prescribed for it...”

“Hm...nothing in the notes seem to be about the one you saw on Jeremiah, Wayne,” Patrick says. “She’s taken a lot of them, from the looks of it. Pages about each of us, records of the events of each day, plans and ideas she’s scrawled down. Mm...there is one interesting passage.”

“What does it say?” Harold asks.

Patrick clears his throat and reads it allowed. “ _Today, Mononuki came to me with a proposition. He offered to give me more access to the school in exchange that I help him with some chores around the school._ ” He flips through a few pages. “Some more passages here where Cassidy talks about these ‘chores’. Poisoning the pancake mix, plastering that list on the wall, stealing that key set...” He closes the notepad.

“W-What?!” Jess demands. “Cassidy, is...is that true..?”

“How would she know?” Harold asks.

“Uh, cause she wrote those notes?!” Nancy demands. She slams her fists together. “We gotcha now, traitor bastard!”

“They’re not my notes...” Cassidy says softly. “That’s what I was saying before. Someone broke into my room...and tampered with my notes. They knew I had amnesia and used that against me.”

“And you’re evidence of that?” Patrick asks. “You made such an important point of it, but surely you can actually back it up.”

“It’s the style of the writing. I know how I keep my notes organized and sorted, but those added segments don’t quite fit in with it.”

“Hm...evidence that we wouldn’t be able to prove.” Patrick holds the notebook out to Cassidy and she hesitantly takes it back. “I wonder...if it’s the truth, then I’m sure there’s something else to back it up.”

Cassidy frowns softly, looking down at her notebook. There had to be something, right..? Some way to prove her innocence!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I can’t believe she’s the **goddamn traitor**!” Nancy demands.

“Hey, we don’t know that yet,” Jess says quickly. “But...still...”

“Even if I knew some way to prove it,” Cassidy begins, “I would have written them in my notes...but...”

“Convenient,” Patrick sighs. “It would just be **safer** to work under the assumption that she’s the traitor, wouldn’t it?”

“Wait! If someone tamped in her notes, they’d have to **break into her room!** ” Jess says. “It’s not like that’s impossible!”

Break into her room, huh? I wonder if there’s a way for someone to do that...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Key**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I shout out.

“Ah, amazing!” Jess chirps. “I knew I was onto something!”

“I found a key stashed away in Jeremiah’s room,” I say. “I didn’t really have the chance to test it out anywhere, but...what if it was a master key? At least for the bedrooms.”

“If you didn’t test it, how can you say something like that?” Patrick asks.

“Because...I know someone got into my room the other night. I saw them there while I was coming in and out of sleep. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but...I’m positive someone got into my room at night!”

“And for that to be the case, they’d need some way to access these bedrooms,” Harold says. “It’s certainly probable, if nothing else.”

“This doesn’t mean she’s in the clear,” Patrick says. “...but I’ll admit it opens the door to other suspects.”

“Wait, wait, wouldn’t Jeremy be the one messin’ ‘round if he had the key?” Nancy asks.

“Ah...yeah, and I don’t see why the traitor wouldn’t just keep the key on them!” Jess agrees. “Could...it be possible he’s the traitor then..? Maybe Cassidy’s note was wrong, or a fake!”

Mm...I don’t think that’s the answer here. There’s something that says otherwise.

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Threatening Note

>Cassidy’s Note

>Stolen Note

_... >Threatening Note_

“It has to be that!” I declare. “That threatening note mentioned that Jeremiah ‘had what you stole’. I think it’s in reference to that key...”

“The traitor did steal a key ring a few days back,” Cassidy ponders, looking more like herself again. “We agreed that they were left in Sasha’s room, yes? I doubt the traitor planned to just leave them there, so they would need to get back in.”

“Which means keeping a key for the bedrooms on hand,” Harold agrees. “Even when Mononuki collected the keys off of Sasha, the traitor would still have the one they kept.”

“And Jeremiah got his hands on it?” Jess asks. “Then...that means the note Cassidy wrote is correct? She found out who the traitor was and Jeremiah managed to get that key away from them!”

“I like to keep pages as organized as possible,” Cassidy says. “Any information I found on the traitor would have been on that page. Without it...” She shakes her head. “I have no way to inform you of who it was.”

“I’m really sorry about all of this, Cassidy...” Jess says with a soft sigh. “I know...how hard it can be to talk about subjects that are painful like that...”

“I’ll be fine.”

I could tell Cassidy was clearly troubled by the whole thing. I still feel awful I had to bring this out like that. I’ll have to make it up to her later. For now...

“What about alibis?” I suggest “That note Jeremiah wrote was asking the traitor to come to the auditorium at 4 o’clock. So anyone that was free around that time would be a viable suspect, right?”

“Well, Jessica and I were together then,” Harold says. “We had tea together. We parted about half an hour after 4, so there isn’t enough time for it to be us.”

“Jessica’s name doesn’t fit with the little identification we have, anyhow,” Patrick admits. “Now then, I’ll admit that I was alone at the time and up until Harold came to talk to me. So I suppose that makes me a suspect.”

“Ugh, well, if yer gonna admit it...yeah, I mighta been on my own, too!” Nancy says. “Takin’ a shower after an intense workout.”

“Wayne and I were together at five o’clock,” Cassidy recalls. “So, I suppose that leaves the two of us unaccounted for.”

“Ugh, not ‘nough people ‘round to be keepin’ track a’ each other...” Nancy grumbles. “There’s still four a’ us left, so now what?!”

“If I’m being frank, I still don’t entirely buy Cassidy’s defense,” Patrick says. “The amnesia could very well be real, but everything else? Could just as likely be a farce.”

“Yeah, like you ain’t suspicious an’ shit?!” Nancy demands. “I bet yer the fuckin’ traitor, jackass!”

“Based on my notes here, you’re the most likely suspect, Nancy,” Cassidy says. “Throwing us into danger, getting in the way, causing strife and tension, gullible and easily swayed...”

“H-Hey!” Nancy was getting red in the face. “Don’t turn the damn tables on me! I ain’t the traitor!”

“Well, it’s not me,” Patrick says. “Anyone with two eyes can see that.”

“I told you all before, my notes were tampered with,” Cassidy says.

“ ** _I’m not the traitor!_** ” all three demand at once.

The conversations are starting to section off with these three all trying to talk over each other. I’m going to have to try my best to focus if I want any hope of moving us forward.

[FRACTURED DEBATE]

“Like hell I’m the traitor!” Nancy demands. “Sure, I mighta fucked up once or twice, but c’mon!”

“I’m just going based off of what I have written,” Cassidy says.

“Oh, yeah, cause we weren’t just talkin’ ‘bout how it could all be **fake notes!** ”

...

“Cassidy, with your amnesia, we don’t have a solid way to determine if those notes are **real or not** ,” Harold says.

“I-It’s not like we want to suspect you...” Jess says tentatively.

“I understand,” Cassidy sighs. “Just...let me think of something that could help...”

...

“Just because I seem distant doesn’t mean I have to be the enemy here,” Patrick says.

“Yeah, like you aren’t just a complete asshole all the time?!” Nancy demands.

“Look, you don’t have **an actual reason** to suspect me, just keep it to yourself.”

We don’t, huh? Maybe Nancy doesn’t, but someone important _did_...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Patrick’s Nighttime Activities**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“What?” Patrick turns his glare to me. “And why is that..?”

“There is a reason to suspect you--one that Jeremiah had, too. He was aware that you like leaving your room a lot during nighttime. I’ve seen you out during that time, myself.”

“Is that true, Patrick?” Cassidy asks.

“...do you have any further proof?” Patrick asks, crossing his arms. “I’ll relent and admit that Wayne has seen me outside my room--early in the morning, because I couldn’t sleep. Jeremiah didn’t go into much detail over what he saw, though, and he’s not here to explain himself now.”

Do I...have anymore proof? I guess I can’t just go off of something like that, even if it is odd for Patrick to be out at night. Is there something else, though..?

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Newspaper Clipping

>Jess’s Testimony

>Key

_... >Newspaper Clipping_

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Patrick, you remember that newspaper clipping you handed me when I was returning Cassidy’s folder?”

“...Patrick gave that to you?” Cassidy frowns softly.

“It came from the folder,” Patrick says. “I don’t know what to tell you.”

“But it didn’t, did it? Cassidy wasn’t the one that found it,” I say.

“She must have forgotten.”

“But I’ve never seen it, either. And Cassidy's been sharing everything she finds with me.”

“Well...then...” Patrick frowns, clearly trying to think of something.

“Ah, wait, are you guys talking about that folder with all those documents Cassidy had?” Jess asks. “I don’t remember seeing a newspaper clipping in it.”

“Now thatcha mention it, I don’t think I did, either,” Nancy says.

“I collected all the papers in the end,” Harold says. “I think I’d recall if something like that had ever been present.”

Patrick’s frown turns into a grimace. His fingers dig into his sleeves as he crosses his arms. “Then...you must have all simply made a mistake. Here’s a word of warning: don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. You got extra information. You should leave it at that.”

“Where did you get the newspaper clipping from?” I press on. “You’re being incredibly insistent that it was always there. Why can’t you tell us where you got it?”

“I...I still don’t see what this proves. I could have picked it up anywhere. Maybe Jeremiah had it and it fell out of his pocket during their fight!”

“Jeremiah definitely would have come back for it in the state he was in,” I say. “So tell us the truth.”

“You...sure seem _cocky_.” Sweat was starting to trickle down Patrick’s face, his normally bored and disinterested expression twisted into something between rage and panic. “Something you want to say, Wayne? Something you want to accuse me of?”

Something I want to accuse him of, huh..? The big question we’ve been dancing around lately is who the traitor is. Which one of us betrayed the rest to work with Mononuki. And I think it’s time to finally answer that question!

[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Winters

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

_... >Patrick Morris_

“It has to be you!” I yell out, pointing an accusing finger at Patrick. “...the traitor is you, Patrick.”

“Bravo, bravo. You finally came out and said it,” Patrick sneers. “But you’re going to have to do better than what you’ve presented if you want to get anywhere, Wayne.”

“Alright, Patrick. You’ve got it. I can do you one better--indisputable proof!”

“Wh...What..?” Patrick’s glare hones in on me. “That’s...ridiculous. I’ll believe it when I see it, Wayne! And I know damn well you don’t have anything on me!”

Patrick’s not going to go down quietly. I know he won’t, I know he has no reason to. Whether he’s the killer or not isn’t what I’m focused on, but we need to know the traitor for this trial. I know they have to be connected!

[PANIC TALK ACTION]

_“You’re evidence is as weak as you are, Wayne!”_

“There’s one simple way to prove what you are!”

_“You need to shut up because I won’t let this stand!”_

“Something we all overlooked, one thing we never tried.”

_“Learn your place, bastard! You have nothing on me!”_

“I’ll reveal the truth with this!”

**Ask Nuki We’ll Mono**

**We’ll Nuki Mono Ask**

**_We’ll Ask Mononuki_ **

“YOUR LIES END HERE!”

“Gggghhh... ** _GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!_** ” Patrick’s stony composure finally breaks down with a defeated wail.

**[BREAK!]**

“So...do you want to admit it, Patrick?” I ask. “Or are we going to have to force the answer out of you?”

“Y...You...” Patrick looked wounded, clutching tightly at his chest. “What makes you think...he’ll even answer you?!”

“You were fired, right? Mononuki has no need to protect you. And whether or not you’re the killer, you didn’t take his offer, so he’s got nothing to hold you to now.”

“...” Patrick was quiet, slowly regaining his stature and composure. “...fine...” he says softly. “You want the truth? Then here it is...”

Patrick looks up at us with his usual cold eyes, but there was an undeniably dangerous flare to them now. “I’m the traitor of this killing game. _But I’m not the killer._ ”


	42. Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish - Deadly Life Trial Part II

“What...What did you just say..?” I ask softly.

“Do I need to repeat myself?” Patrick gripes. “I’m the traitor, the one working with Mononuki since the beginning. But I didn’t kill Jeremiah, and I didn’t attack Jessica. None of that involves me.”

“W-Wait, Patrick...you’re...th-that can’t be true!” Jess demands.

“I mean, I believe it,” Nancy snarls. “Yer not gonna get away from this! I’ll make sure ya pay for everythin’!”

“Save it,” Patrick says. “I’ll explain things later, but for now, I want to move us forward. You’ve all been on the wrong track since the start.”

“RIght, you would be the biggest suspect at the moment, wouldn’t you?” Harold asks. “And naturally, you reject that idea.”

“I won’t lie, I have involvement in this murder...well, too an extent,” Patrick says. “And I’ll gladly explain it, so if you’d all give me a moment.”

“Cassidy and Jeremiah have been breathing down my neck the last few days, and I didn’t feel like dealing with either of them when I already had Mononuki on my back. I didn’t know Jeremiah had learned my identity yet, but I knew Cassidy had, so I broke into her room with a key I kept last night to mess with her notes. Mmf...but Jeremiah got his hands on the key because I left it in the door. Then the announcement happened--not that I cared about it or what the rat had to say. I got that note, but I’m not stupid. I can smell a trap coming from a mile away. I heard someone coming--Nancy, to be precise--and didn't want to be caught with it, and I was standing in the middle of the hall. So I slipped the note under someone else’s door and left to my room. Next thing I know, there’s a murder happening and we find the end results.”

“Who’s door did you slip it under?” Jess asks.

“...I don’t know,” Patrick admits. “I did it quickly because I heard Nancy coming.”

“Great...” Harold sighs.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Patrick Testimony**

_Patrick was the traitor, and both Cassidy and Jeremiah found out his identity. Cassidy was quelled by having her notes tampered with. Jeremiah stole Patrick’s key while he was doing this, however. He also left Patrick a note under his door, but Patrick just gave it to someone else in the middle of the hall because Nancy was coming. He’s not sure who._

“And why should we believe anythin’ yer even sayin’?!” Nancy demands. “Yer the goddamn traitor! I ain’t gonna trust a word outta yer mouth!”

“Fine, don’t believe me. But there is something out there that proves I at least had reason to be wary.”

“What would that be?” I ask.

“Jeremiah’s trap.”

Jeremiah’s...trap? I don’t remember seeing something like that around. Or maybe I did...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Jeremiah was **planning a trap** for me with that note,” Patrick says.

“Not that I disbelieve that...” Harold begins, “but what kind of trap would this be?”

“Well, he did ask me to go to the **auditorium at a specific time**. So I’m sure he was going to do something to keep me there.”

“I should have tried to do something to stop him...” Cassidy says softly. “Dammit...”

“Y’all can’t just listen to whatever he says!” Nancy demands. “The only trap there was the one that had **Jeremy and Jessie hangin’ in the air!** ”

Maybe it’s not so obvious at first, but there was definitely something around that we should look at.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Rope**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“H-Hey! Stop sidin’ with that asshole!” Nancy demands.

“This isn’t about sides, Nance. Try to remember the crime scene. Wasn’t there a third rope that had been set up? I thought it looked like a noose before, but don’t you think it could have been a snare?”

“A snare trap...that would make sense if Jeremiah’s plan was to capture the traitor somehow,” Harold says. “According to that note you found, it certainly sounds like it was meant to lure them in.”

“And you’d have to be a complete idiot to fall for a note like that,” Patrick sneers. “That’s why I dumped it elsewhere.”

“With the snare, he could have captured Patrick with ease and--”

“I ain’t lettin’ ya get away with this!” Nancy bellows out, cutting me off.

“Nance..?”

“Ya think ya get t’ just sit there and keep talkin’ over me, jackass?!” Nancy slams her fists together. “I ain’t listenin’ to a damn word Pat has t’ say, so ya better stop takin’ his side in this!”

“Nancy, this isn’t about sides!” I demand.

“Yeah fuckin’ right! All you assholes have been on my case for weeks now and I’m fuckin’ sick of it! I’m done takin’ yer crap!”

I really don’t have time to deal with Nancy. If the snare rope isn’t enough for her, maybe there’s something else that can help show there was a trap planned. Something even _she_ can’t deny!

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“I ain’t gonna sit here and listen to this crap for a second longer!”_ /

/ _“We can’t trust a fuckin’ word out of Pat’s mouth!”_ /

/ _“That rope was prolly jus’ **unused** from what happen t’ Jeremy and Jessie!”_/

**LOAD Truth Blade: Pile of Sand**

“But that rope was different from those two, wasn’t it? They had been tied down to a hook on the walls, but that unused rope was connected to a sandbag!”

[ADVANCE]

/ _“Uh, so what, Wayne? How’s that even matter?!”_ /

/ _“I bet the Pat was gonna try for a third person! Sick bastard was just gonna kill us all!”_ /

/ _“But he only got two, so they didn’t even **need to mess** with that rope!”_/

**LOAD Truth Blade: Pile of Sand**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I cry out.

“Grrrr...” Nancy growls, an intense glare on her face. “The hell are ya goin’ on ‘bout?”

“Nancy, you remember that pile of sand on the floor, don’t you?”

“Yeah? So what?!”

“Well, there hasn’t been any sand anywhere else in the school. The only place I can think of that it came from would be those sandbags--the one connected to that rope in particular, considering it seemed to have been emptied out.”

“Sand doesn’t just appear outside sandbags, Wayne!” Nancy demands. “How’s it get there, eh?!”

Now Nancy is just being unnecessarily stubborn. But the only way to deal with that was to force her to backdown!

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Rope

>Patrick’s Testimony

>Saber

_... >Saber_

“It has to be that!” I declare. “The saber from my gallery must have been used to cut open the sandbag. It’d empty out the sand and lower whoever was in the trap to the floor.”

“Well...uh...goddamnit...” Nancy’s shoulders slump.

“Wait, why would anyone need to empty out that sandbag?” Jess asks. “If the rope didn’t get used, it seems pointless.”

“Then the logical conclusion to reach is that the rope was used,” Cassidy says.

“But...But used on what?!” Nancy demands. “Those other ropes were used on Jeremy and Jessie, so what the hell was that one for?!”

“It was probably for Patrick,” I say. “That was the trap he’s referring to. Jeremiah set up a rope snare with a sandbag as a counterweight so he could trap Patrick for whatever he had planned.”

“But...that doesn’t explain why it was used,” Jess says. “Why cut open the sandbag if the snare trap wasn’t used on Patrick? He said he never went to the auditorium.”

Hm...she has a good point. What happened that made the snare trap get used? There could be several answers. Maybe if I just think it through...

[PSYCHE TAXI]

Who was the snare trap meant for?

_> The traitor_

_> The killer_

_> The victim_

_... >The traitor_

How was the traitor meant to be lured there?

_> Following Jeremiah_

_> A request from someone else_

_> A threatening note_

_... >A threatening note_

What did the traitor do with the note?

_> Keep it_

_> Follow its instructions_

_> Give it to someone else_

_... >Give it to someone else_

Who would end up following the note?

_> The traitor_

_> Another person_

_> Nobody_

_... >Another person_

“I’ve come to a conclusion!” I declare. “Since that note was left with someone else, it would make sense then if that person would be the one to arrive to Jeremiah’s trap.”

“So...you’re saying he captured someone else? But why hasn’t anyone stepped forward for that?” Jess asks.

“Most likely because they’re the killer,” Cassidy answers. “It’d be suspicious if they started talking about receiving a note calling them the traitor and walking into Jeremiah’s trap.”

“So ya dump your shit ont’ someone else and make everythin’ worse!” Nancy snarls. She slams her fist down on her podium. “Yer a real snake, Pat! I’m gonna enjoy beatin’ yer face in when the trial ends!”

“Shut your trap,” Patrick replies. “I have my reasons for doing what I did. Just be happy I didn’t do worse. Mononuki handed me a lot of information on you all to use at my discretion. I was merciful.”

“I sure as hell won’t be once we’re done here, bastard!”

“Enough!” Jess demands. “Fight later! We have more important things to think about right now.”

“...I’m getting stuck on something involving this mixup,” Harold comments. “Jeremiah’s trap was laid out in the auditorium, wasn’t it? He should have seen the killer walking in instead of Patrick, so why spring it on them regardless? It seems like a waste of time.”

Hm...he makes a good point. Jeremiah should have seen the killer coming. So why would he use the trap anyway?

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Closed Curtains

>Saber

>Rope

_... >Closed Curtains_

“It has to be that!” I say. “Jeremiah must have had the curtains pulled closed so Patrick wouldn’t see the trap coming. But that also means he wouldn’t have been able to see the killer until he’d already caught them in the snare.”

“And a mistake like that got him killed?” Jess asks softly. “Why did it have to come to that..?”

“It does seem pretty weird that the killer would go after him just for that,” Nancy agrees. “Like, even I wouldn’t get pissed enough about it to murder the guy.”

“There could be another reason the killer decided to strike...” Harold ponders.

Is there another reason? Or are we just overthinking it? I’m not sure, but one of the others must have an idea.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“So was Jeremiah killed in some strange form of **revenge** then?” Harold asks.

“Well, if Jeremiah had that saber on hand...maybe they thought **he was a threat** ,” Jess suggests. “So...they retaliated.”

“Hm...that one does seem possible,” Cassidy concedes. “But we decided that Jeremiah was killed at the stairs. Jeremiah would have to **chase them there with the sword** for that to make the most sense.”

“He must’a followed them there, though, right?” Nancy muses. “So uh...I dunno, maybe there was just a **big ol’ fight!** ”

A big fight...wait, maybe...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Jess’s Testimony**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I yell out.

“Hey, why don’tcha just--” Nancy stops herself and blinks. “...wait...agree?”

“That’s right. Jess, you agree, too, don’t you? You said so in your testimony before. You heard fighting in the stairwell, followed by a crash.”

“Ah...oh, yeah, that’s right!” Jess declares. “I remember that, yeah! It’s why I went upstairs in the first place! Two people were arguing, and then something heavy went falling down the stairs.”

“Then the killer and Jeremiah must have gotten into a fight in the staircase,” Harold muses. “All the killer would have to do then is shove Jeremiah and he’d go falling down the steps.”

“Then...Then it was an accident?” Jess asks gently.

“Hey, if it’s an accident, then maybe we can give the killer a break here!” Nancy says.

“Nope,” Mononuki says from his seat. “The killer is still the killer. Accident or on purpose, they took a life, and per the rules, they’ll be executed if they’re found out.”

Nancy’s shoulders slump and she scowls. “Way to be a buzzkill, ratface...”

“But it was an accident, right?” Jess demands. “Why do we have to execute someone for that? It’s not fair!”

“It’s perfectly fair!” Mononuki demands. “You do the crime, you pay the time. So if you _kill_ someone, then you get _executed_ if you’re found out. That rule has never, ever changed!”

Great...so if we’re right, and this murder was never meant to take place anyway...then the killer...like hell they deserve to die for that!

“You’re all so focused on the accident that you’re not paying attention to what was done on purpose,” Patrick says.

“What the hell are you spewin’ ‘bout now, eh?” Nancy asks.

“Jeremiah’s death might have been accidental, but stringing him up like a prop wasn’t. Neither was assaulting Jessica and leaving her in the same situation. Accident or not, the killer sure as hell knew what they did and what the rest of us are at risk of.”

“Why did they even have to do that to Jessica..?” Harold asks softly. “I had thought that...she...”

“Hey, I’m okay, Harold,” Jess reassures. “I promise you that I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

They do bring up a good point. What was the entire purpose of knocking Jess out and dangling her from the ceiling like that if they didn’t make sure she was dead? Maybe...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>They made a mistake

>They were framing the traitor

>They wanted Jess to suffer

_... >They were framing the traitor_

“It has to be that!” I declare. “The killer was trying to frame Patrick for their crime this entire time, weren’t they? By making a big show out of Jeremiah and Jess without actually killing her, it’d look like the traitor tried to kill like Mononuki wanted and failed.”

“Which is why I said that this entire situation is hardly what I’d call an accident,” Patrick reaffirms. “The killer knew what they were doing, even if they never planned to kill in the first place.”

“We’ve covered a lot of ground,” Cassidy says. “More than I’d care to have covered...and while we’ve unmasked most of what happened between Jeremiah, Patrick, and the killer, we’re still at the stark disadvantage of not having an established suspect.”

“Uh, what about Pat?” Nancy asks. “Ain’t a damn thing sayin’ he didn’t do all this shit! Like hell I’m gonna trust him after everything he’s put us through!”

“Couldn’t it be you as well, Cassidy?” Harold asks. “You were under the impression you were the traitor due to your amnesia. Patrick easily could have slipped you that note and you’d have believed it.”

“Please, it’s most likely Nancy,” Patrick says. “She’s an angry, headstrong brute. Who else would do something like that to Jeremiah?”

“A brute, eh?! I’ll show you how much of a brute I am when I knock your damn teeth down your throat!” Nancy yells.

“Even if I thought I was the traitor, I’d hardly go to lengths like that,” Cassidy says.

“I told you before, only a complete idiot would have done what that note said,” Patrick sneers.

“ ** _I’m not the killer!_** ” all three demand at once.

Not this again. We’re not going to get anywhere if everyone is going to be talking over each other. I’m sure there’ll be something I can use to get us past this.

[FRACTURED DEBATE]

“Even though I thought I was the traitor, that’s hardly substantial enough to believe I’d also be the killer,” Cassidy says.

“Jeremiah would certainly recognize you aren’t the traitor,” Harold agrees. “But wouldn’t you feel gaslit, then?”

“Wouldn’t Jeremiah keep **someone like Cassidy in the trap** , though?” Jess asks. “He had a lot against her, too.”

...

“I’d **never fall for a trap** as blatant as the one Jeremiah tried to lay out for me,” Patrick says.

“Oh, yeah, so yer saying’ I’m stupid?!” Nancy demands.

“Well, I was more implying it...” Patrick says.

...

“Attacking Jeremiah for a mistake like that does seem pretty incharacter for Nancy,” Harold agrees.

“Exactly,” Patrick says. “It makes her a likely suspect.”

“Oh, like hell!” Nancy demands. “And Jeremiah wasn’t fuckin’ attacked, was he?! We all said **he was pushed!** ”

Jeremiah was...pushed. That’s what seems like the most likely answer, doesn’t it..? But...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Monofile #5**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“H-Huh?!” Nancy demands. “But that is what you’ve all been sayin’!”

“It is, but I think that entire premise is wrong. I don’t think Jeremiah was pushed. I think someone _hit him._ ”

“Hit him..?” Jess echos. “Why do you think that?”

“His broken nose. His neck must have snapped on his way down the stairs, and he’d hit his head had on the landing. But what about his nose? I think it’s likely that it was broken when he got hit by the killer, and it sent him down the stairs.”

“And what would the killer hit him with?” Cassidy asks. “I don’t recall any weapons being located on the scene.”

“I think the answer should be clear, and knowing that answer leads us directly to the killer!”

“It...It does?!” Jess asks. “But...wait, so who is it?!”

The killer of Jeremiah, the one that tried to frame Patrick and lead us all astray...I can only think of one answer now.

[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Winters

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

“The killer is...you!”


	43. Chapter 5: Betrayal is Served Before a Cold Dish - Deadly Life Trial Part III

I had my accusing finger pointed at the one person I suspected of being the killer.

_... >Nancy Clark_

“Wh...What..?” Nancy sputters. “Wayne, what...what the _hell_?”

“Wayne, wait, what are you saying?” Jess asks. “I mean...Nancy, she can’t be--”

“Why not?” Patrick asks. “Because she’s your friend? Because you care about her? That doesn’t change anything.”

“Fuck you, you slimy bastard!” Nancy screams out. “I don’t wanna hear ‘nother fuckin’ word outta yer goddamn mouth!” She turns back to me. “ _You!_ What the fuck are you talking about?! Why am I the killer?!”

I get the feeling Nancy is about ready to climb over her podium and throttle me if I’m not careful here. We left off on the question of what the killer did to make Jeremiah fall down the stairs. There’s no weapons to be found, and they didn’t push him, so that leaves...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Nancy threw him down the stairs

>Nancy broke his neck, then threw him down

>Nancy punched him and he fell down the stairs.

_... >Nancy punched him and he fell down the stairs._

“It has to be that!” I declare. “The reason I think it’s you comes down to Jeremiah’s broken nose.”

“Ghh--!” Nancy reels back a bit. Sounds like I was right on the money.

“It’s not just because you’re a boxer, Nancy, but because of your stage name. _Nosebleed Nancy_. Your signature move is punching someone and causing a nosebleed, just like what happened with Jeremiah.”

“That does seem rather implicative,” Harold agrees. “But we’re only basing this off of one person..?”

“Y...Yeah!” Nancy says. “Only Jeremy had a nosebleed, and it coulda just been from him fallin’ down the stairs! So what?! That all you got, Wayne?!”

I know I have more to back it up with, I just need the right moment to present it.

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Nancy is **suspicious** because of that information,” Cassidy says.

“Hey!” Nancy barks. “Ya can’t just say that, y’know!”

“She’s not wrong,” Harold argues. “But I wouldn’t say it’s enough, either.”

“Jeremiah could have gotten that nosebleed in a few ways,” Jess agrees. “It could have been Nancy, but **any of us** could end up doing that to him right?”

“That’s right!” Nancy demands. “ **One nosebleed** doesn’t prove jackshit!”

Just one nosebleed? No, that’s not right...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Jess’s Nosebleed**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“N-No way, man!” Nancy tries to shoot back.

“Jess, isn’t it true that you had a nosebleed of your own? One you didn’t have before you were knocked out?”

“Ah--” Jess puts a hand to her nose gently. She’d removed the tissue by now, but it did still look a little swollen. “I...don’t remember it happening before I blacked out, no...”

“Sh-She could have gotten that some other way!” Nancy demands. “I mean...what if she just landed on her face or somethin’?!”

“You’re saying that the only two people attacked by the killer having nosebleeds, something you’re specifically known for, should just be considered a coincidence?” I ask.

“I...w-well...” Nancy was trying to glare me down, but she was clearly struggling to keep up under the pressure. “That...That still doesn’t mean I did it! Anyone can throw a left hook and knock a guy out!”

“That’s true,” Harold agrees. “Patrick or you could just as easily do what Nancy could.”

“I still don’t want to think it’s Nancy...” Jess says softly. “After all the time we spent together, I just...I can’t think it’s her...”

“Doesn’t that mean shit to you, Wayne?” Nancy spits. “Sittin’ here and accusin’ me of bein’ the killer...after _everythin’_.”

“Of course it means something to me!” I demand. “Every moment I’ve spent with all of you here has meant something to me! But...But that doesn’t change the fact that someone killed Jeremiah and the rest of us are in danger if we’re wrong. It’s not like I want you to be the killer, Nancy, but we need to be able to go after the most likely suspects. If you’re not the killer, then I swear that I’ll make sure to figure it out!”

“You...all you ever do is _talk_. I’m sick of just talking’ all the time!” Nancy demands. “Ya wanna accuse me of bein’ the killer?! Bring somethin’ real to the table or we can settle this with our fists!”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I’m sick a’ all this bullshit!” Nancy cries out. “Y’all got somethin’ that actually matters?!”

“Stop being difficult,” Patrick says. “We’ve traced back **how the victims were attacked** and **the way they were attacked.** What else do you want?”

“We could stand to have some more concrete proof that puts Nancy at the scene of the crime, for starters,” Harold says.

“With our **one major witness** unable to recall any supporting information, that does make it more difficult,” Cassidy says.

“I’m sorry...” Jess says softly. “I was hoping I’d be able to recall more as the trial went on, but my mind is still blank on all the important parts. I must have hit my head hard when I was attacked...”

“Then ya got nothin’!” Nancy bellows. “Not one thing **puts me at the scene** of the crime!”

Maybe not right on the scene, but there is something that might make Nancy a stronger suspect.

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Nancy’s Testimony**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“Shut it!” Nancy snaps in response.

“No, Nancy, not as long as I have your testimony to back me up.”

“Jokes on you, I didn’t give you one of those!”

...I think I’d rather not find out what she’ll do if I directly correct her. “Nancy, I remember you told me what you were doing today. You went to your room to take a shower, right?”

“Yeah, so? Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that! In fact, Pat there heard me comin’!”

“I did, right before I slipped that paper under someone’s door,” Patrick agrees.

“So then you agree?” I ask. “That you went to your room alone, right after Patrick slipped someone the note?”

“Yeah!” Nancy declares. “...uh, er, wait...uh...no. Maybe? Whichever one makes you buzz off!”

“That’s strange...” Harold says softly.

“Wasn’t Cassidy in her room, though?” Jess asks. “Maybe Patrick sent it to hers!”

“I haven’t entered my room until well after the time of death,” Cassidy says.

“Well, we can’t prove that!” Nancy snaps. “So yer just as likely a culprit!”

Urk, she’s got a point there. There must be something I can use to narrow it back down.

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Jess’s Testimony

>Patrick’s Testimony

>Nancy’s Testimony

_... >Patrick’s Testimony_

“It has to be that!” I say. “Patrick, before, you mentioned you were in the middle of the hall when you slipped the note under someone’s door.”

“That’d be correct,” the cosplayer nods in agreement.

“If you remember from the last trial, the order of the rooms was important. And Cassidy’s room is located at the _end_ of the hall,” I say. “Patrick wasn’t anywhere near it when he left the paper elsewhere. But Nancy’s room...”

“It...would be in the perfect place to be given to her,” Jess says softly.

“And her ballistic, volatile nature makes it seem reasonable she would go after whoever left a letter like that for her,” Harold says.

“Hey, wait!” Nancy demands. “Uh...somethin’s wrong with all this testimony crap!”

“What’s wrong with it?” I ask.

“I think it would be the placement of Nancy,” Cassidy says. “Patrick claims she had been going back to her room well before the time of death, but according to Nancy, she was leaving her room after a shower not long before the body was found.”

“AHA! Exactly!” Nancy says with a grin. “Pat’s lyin’ ‘bout me, that’s all there is! He was tryin’a confuse me. It almost worked, but I figured it out! I ain’t stupid!”

Dammit, I felt like we were getting close. I don’t think Patrick was lying, but it doesn’t seem like Nancy is either. So which one is true..?

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I went t’ my room **way after Jeremiah died!** ” Nancy demands.

“She did come from that direction,” Harold agrees. “I don’t think she’s lying about that.”

“But I know it was **Nancy coming** when I switched the note,” Patrick says. “She went into her **room before the murder,** I’m sure of it!”

“So what, yer sayin’ I **went into my room twice?!** ” Nancy snaps.

Went into her room twice...wait!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Blood Trail**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I call out.

“What?! Ya ain’t supposed t’ agree with _that!_ ” Nancy slams her fist down onto her podium.

“But I do, Nancy. That blood trail is the perfect reason to. If you carried Jeremiah from the stairwell to the auditorium, then you’d be covered in his blood. You’d have no choice but to go back to your room and clean off the evidence!”

“That’s...That’s just a guess! Ya got nothin’ on me!” Nancy bellows. “That sick little set up in the auditorium ain’t me! Why would I ever do somethin’ like that, eh?!”

“Stop fighting it,” Patrick says. “You can keep trying, but you have nowhere else to run. Just give up!”

“So...yer all...seriously gonna side with this guy..? The _fuckin’_ bastard that betrayed us and helped make our lives a livin’ hell?! Ya...can’t be...fuckin’ serious...” Nancy struggles to get the words out, clearly holding back a far worse reaction. “This...This is all...just...”

“This isn’t about sides, Nancy,” I say. “This is about finding the killer. And you...”

“This ain’t nothin’,” Nancy snarls. “I’ve taken on bigger, tougher, scarier guys than you lot. Ya think I’m gonna be taken down, just cause y'all think yer smarter and better at talkin’ than me? I’ll show you! I’ll show ya all! I’LL TAKE Y’ALL ON AND BEATCHA DOWN, ONE BY ONE! NO ONE GETS THE BEST OF NOSEBLEEEEEED NANCYYYYYYYY!”

Nancy had such an intense, fiery rage about her now. She was ready for a fight. And if that’s what she wants...I’ll take her head on!

[PANIC TALK ACTION]

_“I ain’t gonna lose to shrimps like you!”_

“You can’t try to run from this crime anymore, Nancy!”

_“I’m Nosebleed Nancy! The strongest girl ALIIIIIIIIVE!”_

“This isn’t about sides or winners.”

_“Ya got nothin’ on me! Not a single damn thing!”_

“This is about all of our lives! And I’m going to stop you here!”

**For Plan A Wait**

**Wait Plan A For**

**_Wait For A Plan_ **

“THIS TRIAL ENDS HERE!” I yell out.

“RrrrrrRRRRR ** _RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_** ” Nancy let out a deafening roar as I took the final shot.

**[BREAK!]**

“You said before that the way Jeremiah and Jess were left wasn’t something you’d do...but I think you would do it, if you needed somewhere to hide them!”

“H...Hide...them..?” Nancy says softly.

“You never planned to kill Jeremiah. The whole thing was an accident. You’d panic, freak out, and react. Take Jeremiah upstairs and hide him by hanging him from the ceiling. Then Jess came out. You panic again, hit her, and do the same.”

“That...Th-That’s...” Nancy’s mighty frame was starting to shake, her teeth bared in a large scowl. “...I...had...a plan...”

“...so you admit it?” I retort.

“...who cares...if I admit it?” Nancy asks. “You get the whole story..? Figure the whole damn thing out..?

“I think I did, Nance. And I’m going to prove it right now, to everyone, exactly what happened!”

[CLOSING ARGUMENT]

“The murder begins with the fight between Cassidy and Jeremiah the day before because that’s how Jeremiah learned an important piece of information--that Patrick was the traitor. He’d stolen one of Cassidy’s notes off the floor, and it just so happened to be the one all about Patrick, where Cassidy had written down her suspicions and reasons. This ended up being a tipping point for Jeremiah, and the last time any of us would see him before his death.

“Jeremiah used this time to devise a plan, where he would attempt to snare Patrick in a trap--most likely so he could try to interrogate him for answers. He used the ropes and sandbags in the auditorium to create a snare so he could lead Patrick right into a trap. He planned to lure Patrick up there by leaving a note under his door that was meant to convince him to come to the auditorium alone, one that threatened Jeremiah telling everyone the truth. It was planted the following day, likely while we were all at breakfast, but Patrick was already planning his own counter.

“That night, while Jeremiah had been scheming, Patrick used a bedroom skeleton key he had access to in order to break into Cassidy’s room and change her notes. He was going to lead her to believe she was the traitor in an attempt to take the heat off of himself by faking several notes, all of which Cassidy would have no choice but to believe as her own due to her amnesia--something Patrick knew about as the traitor. This is why she ended up acting so strange that day, and why the killer was given free rein of the school again. But Patrick’s fatal flaw was leaving that key unsupervised, letting Jeremiah take hold of it so that it could be used as leverage in his note the next day.

“Now that everything was in place, Patrick had a potential scapegoat and Jeremiah had a plan in action. So, when Patrick found the note in his room, he thought it best to leave it just about anywhere else. Another bedroom, maybe. If it’s occupant was still alive, they could even stall or confuse Jeremiah. So he slipped it under the door to their room and simply had to wait. He didn’t realize it was the killer’s room, which they were about to enter.

“The killer had been busy working out, so they eventually returned to their room for a shower--just in time to find the note and react. Understandably upset at the accusations written on it, they charge up to the auditorium to confront Jeremiah, only to fall into his snaring trap before either could realize the mistake made due to the closed curtains. Jeremiah would free the killer with my award saber, of course, since that wasn’t the intended person, but they were still angry about the entire situation.

“The two bicker and fight their way into the stairwell, most likely with Jeremiah in the lead. At some point, he stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to face the killer, just for him to receive their signature knock-out punch to the face. His nose was broken and he was sent tumbling down the stairs, his neck breaking somewhere along the way and his head being hit hard. He was dead by the time he reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Panicked by a murder they never planned to commit, the killer quickly tried to hide the body. Jeremiah was bleeding a lot, leaving a trail to follow as the killer scooped him up and took him back to the auditorium, where they would then use the ropes to try and hide his body until they had a better plan. But someone interrupted this--Jess, who had heard the commotion and followed the blood trail.

“Caught in the act, the killer reacted on instinct, hitting Jess with their signature punch and knocking her out when she hit her head on the ground. They never intended to kill her--and never did, thankfully--but they knew they were in deep now. They took Jess to the stage and hung her from the ceiling similar to Jeremiah to make it appear two people were dead. It was a good plan, probably one of the first the killer had ever come up with. They knew that the person we’d all suspect as the killer was the traitor, so they made it appear that there had been two attempted murders to throw us off.

“After that, the killer went back to their room to change and clean up--after all, they’d be soaked in blood--before joining with Patrick and Harold in the hall like nothing had happened to talk about Jess’s seeming disappearance, never getting a chance to clean the massive bloody mess upstairs. And the killer is none other than you! Nancy Clark, the Ultimate Boxer!”

“...” Nancy was quiet now, her eyes closed.

“Nancy, please...please tell me...that it’s not...” Jess couldn’t even bring herself to finish the sentence, tears already welling up in her eyes.

“...’m sorry...Jessie...” Nancy says with a soft voice, her eyes open but focused on the ground. “I didn’t mean t’ hurtcha...I just...didn’t know what to do...”

“Hey, before we get any further, I want to put it to a vote,” Mononuki says. “So everyone, you know the drill. Vote for the person that you think is the killer.”

[VOTE FOR THE KILLER]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Winters

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

_... >Nancy Clark_

“That’s right, everyone! The killer of Jeremiah Dawson, the Ultimate Author, was the big and brash Nancy Clark, the Ultimate Boxer!”

“It...It wasn’t...my fault...” Nancy says weakly.

“It seems like a lot of this was your fault,” Patrick says. “But we’ve had this discussion, haven’t we? That every part after killing Jeremiah stops being ‘an accident’.”

“It...It shoulda been you!” Nancy snaps, slamming her fist down on her podium again. “It ain’t fuckin’ fair that ya get off all’a this shit scot free! Yer the dirty bastard traitor, and ya didn’t even have the balls to go face it with Jeremy! Yer a fuckin’ coward, Pat!”

“Nance, you...you didn’t have to listen to that note,” I say.

“It’s not like I knew it wasn’t for me. I through if Jeremy started tryin’a start shit and tellin’ everyone I was the traitor, things’d just get worse for me. No one listened to me anyway. Y'all thought I was either an idiot or a danger t’ everyone. Havin’ him go yappin’ his mouth ‘bout shit like that would just been more shit I had t’ deal with. I went to go set the record straight with ‘im. Wasn’t gonna fight or nothin’, y’know. But then that dumb snare...and he kept yellin’ at me and insulin’ me the whole time. Wouldn’t tell me what was goin’ on, tried to storm out. I got pissed off! I just socked ‘im t’ make him shut it...and then he fell down the stairs and...he wasn’t gettin’ up...and then all the blood...”

It was hard listening to Nancy talk about this. She didn’t deserve to die like this over that. It was all just one massive mistake--a misunderstanding that got taken too far by total accident. And...not to mention...she was my friend. She was my _best friend_ , dammit! I hung out with her almost every day, got to know her and bond...and to have it all end like this...

“...I’m sorry,” Cassidy says after a while.

“Huh?” Nancy looks up at her. “Sorry..?”

“If I ever made you feel useless or stupid...I’m sorry, Nancy. I should have done more to take your feelings into account.”

“Li’l late for that...but...’s fine. I know I can be difficult. When ya grow up as the only girl and the youngest, ya gotta learn to stand up for yourself. Ya scream the loudest and ya usually end up winnin’...heh...my ol’ man’d be so pissed seenin’ me like this...”

“Well, if you’re all done talking, I think it’s time we moved on to the big finale of this trial!” Mononuki says.

“No, please!” Jess demands. “It was an accident, you can’t do this to her! I’m not even mad about what she did to me! I don’t care, please, just don’t kill her!”

“Jessica...” Harold says softly.

“I can’t keep doing it!” Jess continues, tears freely flowing down her face. “I can’t watch another one of my friends die! Just...Just leave her alone! Leave us all alone already!”

“Jessie...it’s fine,” Nancy says. “I knew it was comin’ for a while. I’m done runnin’ and done makin’ excuses...look, just...make sure this is the last one, ‘kay? No more murder, no more executions...make sure I’m the last one t’ die. No more words and talkin’. I want all of y’all to do somethin’ for a change! Stand up t’ the bastard behind all this and make it all stop! Here and now!” Nancy slams both of her fists together with a big grin.

“...I promise, Nancy,” I say. “I swear that I’ll find a way to stop this killing game! I won’t let anymore of us die here!”

“ _Yaaaawwwwnnn_...” Mononuki let out a deep, loud yawn. He was just mocking us at this point. “If that’s all, mm...I’d like to get on with the real show now.”

“Ya want a real show? Ya got it, rat face!” Nancy bellows. “I’ll take ya on, one-on-one!”

“I have a very special punishment planned for Nancy Clark, the Ultimate Boxer.”

“I ain’t afraid of you! I ain’t afraid of nothin’! I’m Nosebleed Nancy and I’ll beat you DOWN!”

“So let’s give it everything we’ve got. It’s...PUNISHMENT TIIIIIME!” A button rises before Mononuki. He raises a mallet up with his tail and slams it down on top of the button...just as Nancy grabs him by the throat, making the plush squeak.

The chain flew out, grappling Nancy’s neck. She spares us one more big grin before she’s dragged away and out of sight.

**Nancy Clark has been found guilty!**

**Commencing the punishment...**

Nancy was standing in a large boxing ring, two ratty boxing gloves adorning her hands. The lights were bright on her, a look of steely determination on her face. On the other side of the ring was Mononuki, wearing a belt around his waist and two boxing gloves made out of metal that sparkled under the bright lights. He hits them together with a resounding _CLANG!_ The match has begun!

**Nosebleed Nancy v. The Iron Fist! The Match Of A Lifetime!**

Nancy charges forward with a roar, already drawing back one of her fists to go in for the kill. She slams it right into Mononuki, sending the plush flying into the air with a swift uppercut. The crowd roars with disapproval, the sound catching Nancy off guard as Mononuki comes tumbling back down to the stage.

Nancy grits her teeth and charges again, striking Mononuki in the face and sending him rolling back across the stage. The booing gets louder. Someone throws a soda cup at the stage, hitting the edge of it. Nancy growls softly, getting more annoyed.

Nancy lands blow after blow on Mononuki, sending him hurtling across the stage or into the air with each one. But every time she hit, the crowd’s displeasure would get louder and louder. It was clearly getting to Nancy as she had a harder time keeping focus, even as Mononuki sat around and took each hit.

Nancy finally snaps when someone threw a bucket of popcorn at her. She abandons Mononuki on the ground, turning instead to start yelling at the crowd and fighting with them. The booing turns into excited roaring. Nancy had a look of confusion on her face, but seconds later her eyes widen in shock and pain. Mononuki landed a clean blow right into her side.

Nancy staggers back, gripping her side with one hand. She tried to remain steady on her feet. Mononuki clangs his fists together again and Nancy musters up the last of her strength to charge at him for another full force uppercut. As she swings her fist, Mononuki dodges to the side at the last moment and slams his fist right into Nancy’s chest. Her eyes widen, several sickening cracks echoing out as her ribs shattered.

Nancy falls to the floor with a heavy thump, coughing and wheezing. Blood dribbles out of her mouth and nose, her lungs filling quickly with her only blood. The crowd was going wild around her, screaming and cheering. A timer ticks down from ten. As soon as the counter hits zero, Nancy takes her last breath, and a loud buzzer sounds out. The Iron Fist is victorious!

**NANCY CLARK HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED!**

I was at a loss for words. I could barely stand to watch the execution. My jaws and fists were clenched tightly, tears rolling down my face slowly. Dammit...DAMMIT!

“NANCY!” I manage to cry out. But it was too late. It had been too late for too long. All I could do was cry and yell her name, knowing full well that would never bring her back.

Jess was sobbing hard, her body shaking. Harold was tightly holding onto her hand.

Cassidy’s expression was sullen, her eyes down with a tight frown on her face. Even Patrick was quieter than usual.

And that was...everyone. After everything, all the motives and trials and pain, only five of us were left standing from the original sixteen. How...How did we ever let this happen to us..?

I didn’t even hear Mononuki announce that we could leave. It was Cassidy that had to pry me away from my trial stand and into the elevator where the others were waiting. As the doors closed and we began going back up, I felt my tears beginning to slow.

“...we can’t...let this happen again...” I say softly. “There’s just not enough...not enough of us are left...”

“But...But what can we do..?” Jess whimpers. “How...do we stop this..?”

“We refuse to play his game anymore,” I say. “I think it’s time we changed it.”

**Chapter 5: Betrayal Is Served Before a Cold Dish - END!**

**Remaining Students: 5/16**

****


	44. Chapter 6: A Misty-Eyed Goodbye to All That Corrupts Me - Deadly Life

**Chapter 6: A Misty-Eyed Goodbye to All That Corrupts Me [Deadly Life - START!]**

Everyone had gone to bed that night, the gloomy disposition in the air following us from the trial like an awful stench. I didn’t get a lot of sleep that night. I was kept awake with thoughts of my next plan. I couldn’t let Nancy down. I wasn’t going to let another one of us die in this game. I was going to put an end to it all!

Morning eventually came, the morning announcement with it, but I didn’t even pay attention to it. I was already halfway to the cafeteria when it had played. We’d have a bit of time before Mononuki did whatever he was going to do today and I wanted to take that time to talk to the others.

I was the first one in the cafeteria. Cassidy came in soon after. Jess and Harold were behind her. We waited another minute or so before Patrick finally came in and took a seat with us.

“...I know we all want to talk about something,” Jess says, breaking the silence. “But...I think that Patrick should start with an explanation.”

“I figured as much.” Patrick sighs, leaning back in his chair. “Where do you all want me to begin?”

“How about your motives?” I ask. “Why did you team up with Mononuki? And I won’t buy the excuse you did it to spite us or to leave as the only survivor.”

“Fair enough.” Patrick was quiet for a bit, collecting his thoughts. “...alright. I suppose you can consider this the real reason I agreed to Mononuki’s proposal. I saw it was a way to gain an advantage. Not over you all, but over the mastermind.”

“What...do you mean?” Jess asks gently.

“Think of it this way--how else could I learn information about the mastermind besides being as close to them as possible? Sure, they spoke to me through that toy, but that was the best I could hope for. I got to see more of the school, before any of you. I got inside information, and even a chance to take something worthwhile from them. All I had to do in return was help him a little with his motives. He had me plant the poison, hang up the list, cause general strife and disarray in the group. He gave me a lot of information to use against you all, but I tried to abuse that as little as possible.”

“I can’t say I agree with your methods...” Harold mutters.

“I’m not expecting you to. But I had my reasons for doing what I did, and I only acted out when I found it necessary to keep good relations with Mononuki. Stealing those keys was my act of rebellion. I thought if I left them with Sasha, I could go back for them later, but I didn’t expect her to find them and take them. Then her, Rick, and Jeremiah were all plotting together and I never got a chance to get them back. I was smart to at least keep the bedroom master key.”

“...and what happened with Nancy?” Jess asks.

“An accident. I didn’t give her that note on purpose, and even if I did, I wasn’t expecting anyone to die from it. That had nothing to do with me, it was just Jeremiah and Nancy at their wit’s end clashing together. That was her responsibility, not mine.”

“It was still your responsibility!” Jess retorts. “You didn’t have to leave the note with someone else, you knew that could have gotten someone hurt!”

“It’s not my fault Jeremiah went off the deep end and Nancy was too thick in the skull to think for two seconds and--” _SMACK!_

The sound rang through the air as Jess reached across the table and struck Patrick across the face. His cheek was red from where she hit him.

“Don’t talk about Nancy like that!” Jess finally snaps. “You don’t get to talk about my friends like that!”

Patrick puts a hand to his cheek gently, looking surprised by what just happened. “...I’m sorry, Jessica.”

Jess frowns, but the expression softens, now looking remorseful instead of angry. “No, I...I am. I shouldn’t have hit you. That wasn’t...okay...” She holds her hands to her chest, taking a couple of deep breaths. “It wasn’t okay...”

“I don’t have an excuse for why I did what I did,” Patrick admits. “I suppose I’ll need some time to shake off the habits Mononuki instilled onto me.”

“If we’re apologizing for things right now, then I’m sorry that I exposed your secret like that during the trial, Cassidy,” I say. “Outting a medical condition like that...I thought it was necessary at the time, but there were other ways we could have worked through things.”

“No, it...was going to have to come out in that trial either way,” Cassidy says. “Once my notes became involved, I wouldn’t have been able to avoid it. I should have been more honest, but Patrick’s tampering made me hesitant at first. I spent most of the day thinking I was the traitor...”

“...I’ll apologize for that, too,” Patrick says. “For everything, I suppose. I never did anything with the intent to harm, but...I can see that I ended up doing so anyway.”

“I should...apologize as well,” Harold says. “For how crass and crude I was. And...trying to help Perseus escape during his trial. I put everyone in grave danger and I blamed you all for his death for a while...”

Jess gently puts a hand on Harold’s shoulder and smiles. “Thank you, Harold.”

“I’m willing to start being honest with you all,” Cassidy says. “And that can begin with my talent. I’m the Ultimate Criminal Investigator. I used to work at a local police precinct, but I’m a private eye of sorts now.”

Jess laughs softly. “I can see that, Cassidy. I bet I could have guessed that.”

“...I already knew,” Patrick admits. “But I didn’t plan to expose that. Same with Joshua and his talent.”

Jess frowns softly. “Joshua...I wish we could have gotten him to be more honest with us...”

“That’s just what Mononuki has been preying on,” I say. “Our distrust and unwillingness to work together. Ever since the start, everything he’s done is to just drive deeper wedges between us all.”

“That’s presumably the most likely reason he took our memories of our time at school,” Cassidy says. “So long as we forgot everything about each other, it would be easier to push us all toward murder.”

“Then...we must have been so close during school...” Jess says softly. “Everyone...I’m so sorry I forgot...”

“We can make it up to them,” I say. “So long as we work together from now on and stand up to Mononuki.”

And speaking of the devil, the screens around the school crackle to life. “Attention, everyone. Er...this is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I really didn’t think we’d have so many left alive this late in! I’m all out of new floors to give you for surviving...so I guess we’ll just have to jump right into the motive. Come to the entrance hall, please.”

“What?!” Jess demands. “He...He can’t be serious!”

“I’m sure he is,” Cassidy sighs. She gets to her feet. “So, are we going?”

As much as I and the others didn’t want to, we all hesitantly made our way out of the cafeteria and to the entrance hall, where Mononuki was waiting for us. We’re just walking right back into his paws again. We can’t keep doing this...

The five of us stand at attention in the seemingly massive room, Mononuki standing in his usual spot. “Ah, so glad you could all make it. I had a fun idea for a motive seeing you all tear each other apart in that trial last night!”

“What are you talking about?” Harold asks. “If this is about the traitor nonsense again, we’re far past that being relevant.”

“Oh, no, no, nothing like that.” Mononuki waves his paw lazily. “But I am really disappointed Patrick would ignore my offer like that...”

“I’m not a killer,” Patrick says. “I told you before, that was my one rule: don’t expect me to kill anyone. I won’t.”

“I still had so much more faith in you. Oh well...I’m sure this motive might make you change your mind!”

All of our handbooks let out a ping. We pull them out to see what had been added. There was a new tab on mine, simply labeled Wayne. I click on it.

_Wayne’s biggest secret is...he once hospitalized a kid at school during a mock sword fight by stabbing him in the eye!_

I frown. Ugh, that incident..? I was only ten at the time. I had only just started training for fencing at that time, so I’d been excited and wanted to try out some of the basics I had learned. The whole thing had been an accident. I don’t like talking about it since it was just a stupid thing I did as a kid.

...but what about the others? I’ve had a taste of the things they’re hiding. Talents, traumas, deceit, weaknesses...what kind of secrets would the others still have? How far were any of them willing to go to protect them? How long before someone was snap under the pressure and murder to protect a secret they had?

“I won’t just stop at revealing these secrets between all of you,” Mononuki warns. “After all, there’s only five of you left. If the bodies don’t drop, I’ll make sure these get out for everyone to hear! So if you don’t want everyone to know what you keep buried deep...”

“...I stabbed a kid in the eye when I was ten,” I say.

Everyone looks at me and Mononuki seemed surprised. “...what?”

“That’s what you wrote as my secret. I sent a kid to the hospital after I stabbed him in the eye while we were playing a game. We were ten, and I’d just started getting into fencing. I wanted to try out some of what I had learned with a friend I could still play sword fight with, but I ended up jabbing his eye by mistake.”

“I see what you’re trying to do,” Mononuki says. “But do you really think everyone’s secrets are as bad as that? I have some good stuff on--”

“I’ve always been jealous of Perseus,” Harold says. “He always had so much skill and dedication to his artistic ventures. He was outgoing and excitable and friendly. Everywhere he went, he seemed to make a friend. I’ve always envied that seemingly natural ability of his...and sometimes I would take it out on him by being aggressive and snide. And even through all of that...he never...stopped smiling and caring about me. Even after our parents abandoned us and our grandfather died...he...was always there for me. I wish I appreciated it more...” Harold turns off his handbook and slides it back into his pocket, gently wiping his eyes.

“...I struggle with people more than I care to admit,” Patrick begins. “I don’t understand them well. Every person is their own mash of inconsistency, double standards, and hypocrisy. Their reactions to certain situations are difficult to read and follow and predict. And...instead of trying harder to understand, I pushed it all away. I found comfort in fictional characters instead. They’re easy to understand. They can be complex, but it’s still so simple to break it all down and find out how they tick. I...got into cosplay as a way to attempt replicating it; to be more approachable to the people I couldn’t understand and relate to. I’d study the characters I would cosplay to such an extent that I could perfectly recreate them, just so I could try to feel like there was someone in the world that I could relate to. You can’t look like a sociopathic freak to a bunch of fictional characters, after all.”

“Hmph...” Mononuki looked annoyed. “...you know what? Who cares! Jess and Cassidy would never want their secrets revealed. After all, it’ll just tear down their entire lives, now won’t it? Weaknesses like those put on full display for everyone to see will leave them with nothing!”

Cassidy was quiet, a thin frown on her lips and her eyes closed.

“...I...” Jess hesitates to say whatever was on her mind, her arms wrapped around herself. She was already tearing up

“Haha, I knew it!” Mononuki’s grin seems to widen. “Maybe I’ll find something a bit spicier for the boys later, but I knew you girls wouldn’t let me down!”

“...I’m...I’m sorry...” Jess says softly. She looks at the rest of us. “...I’m...being abused at home. That’s...my secret.”

“What?!” Harold demands. “Jessica, is your father--”

“NO!” Jess shouts frantically. “I-It’s not him, please, don’t say something so awful! He’d never do that to me. It’s...It’s my mom. She’s the one who’s been...abusing me. Abusing _both_ of us. For as long as I can remember, she’s had us under her thumb. Dad...he tried to get us out of there the first time she...she hit me. But my mom called the police on him...said he did it. I-I thought he was going to go to jail and I’d be left alone at home with _her_ , but...she dropped the charges. It was a warning...to both of us. That we can’t leave and she can do anything she wants...” Jess sniffles and hiccups, wiping at her cheeks as tears flowed. “I do all the chores around the house...and then I picked up the babysitting job to help Dad make money. She doesn’t work...and he spends all his time out at work just so we can get by, so I...I spent all day alone with her before I started working, too. Just to get out of the house...to distract myself...to...to escape...I want to make sure every kid in the world doesn’t have to grow up the way I did, and if they do, that they have that escape with me...even if it’s just a few hours...”

Patrick and Harold both moved over to Jess as she trailed off and started crying again. Her entire body was shaking. I was worried she might end up getting sick to the stomach from the way she was hunching over.

“...” Cassidy was still quiet, not having moved at all from where she was standing. Mononuki was glaring daggers at her, as if daring her to say something.

I frown softly. “Hey, Cass, you don’t--”

“It’s fine,” she says. “I just needed a moment to collect my thoughts.” She opens her eyes again. There’s an unmistakable sorrow to them. “You all know about my amnesia and my talent...but one thing I’ve never breathed a word about, not even to my mother, is the incident that took place at work that caused the former and almost cost me the latter.”

I remember her mentioning that before. She just called it an ‘incident’ that hospitalized her. Was that...her biggest secret?

“At my precinct, I was working to uncover the corruption that ran rampant. Every cop there had something under their belt that they had done, and each one I learned about just made me sick to my stomach. I collected everything and was ready to expose it all...but I made a childish mistake. I thought that I could give the police chief an ultimatum. That he could work towards cleaning up the force and making things better, or I could reveal everything. I trusted him to make the right choice. I was so confident he would...and then he assaulted me. He hit me with the butt of his pistol and took _everything_ I had. That’s...the last thing I remember. Every single day I wake up, it’s the same shock--thinking I had died, feeling that rage and disgust washing over me of being so _stupid_ as to trust him, confusion and panic waking up in an unfamiliar space After that attack, I was hospitalized and I was let go from the force. My father, a forensics specialist who had been aiding me in the work, had been fired as well. They had connected my findings back to him and got rid of him before he could squeal.”

I walk over to Cassidy and gently put a hand on her shoulder, offering a small smile. She gave one in return before returning her attention to Mononuki with her usual cold glare.

“So...you, too, huh..?” Mononuki asks. “You all really want to ruin my motive like this..? I really thought this one would work...”

“It’s not going to work anymore,” I say. “We’re not going to sit here and let you manipulate us anymore! I don’t care what motives you have, I’m not going to let a single one get to me! I’m done playing _your_ game, Mononuki!”

“That’s right!” Jess says. She wipes her eyes off with her arm to make a more convincing face of determination. “I’m done playing, too! I don’t care what you do anymore! I’m not going to kill my friends!”

“Your ridiculous charade of a ‘test’ is ending,” Harold sneers. “I suggest you come out quietly and put an end to this.”

“You don’t have control here anymore,” Patrick adds. “Not over us, not over our lives. It’s game over.”

“And if you don’t want to come out, I won’t rest until I find out,” Cassidy warns. “There’s no more hiding.”

Mononuki backs up slowly as we advance on him, the little tanuki looking genuinely worried as we surround him. “N-Now hold on, we can talk about this! I’ll think of a better motive!”

“No more motives!” I demand. “The killing game is over! Why don’t you tell us who you really are?!”

“...the killing game...isn’t over,” Mononuki says. “Because...you don’t know who I am, huh? You don’t have any idea what’s going on around here, really. Even if you think you do, you don’t.”

“What are you going on about now?” Patrick groans. “I’m sick of your vague nonsense. It wasn’t any easier to put up with when working for you.”

“...I think I know what to do,” Mononuki says. “I did tell a bit of a fib before. I do have one more floor I can show you all.”

I frown, hands curling into fists. “We don’t want--”

“I’m giving you all an out,” Mononuki cuts me off. “We’ll have one more trial. I liked that word you said before, Harold. Test...consider this a final for graduation! This will be your grand prize for getting to the final five. I’ll give you all one chance to put the pieces of this killing game together and prove to me that you want to leave.”

“Prove we want to leave..? Of course we want to!” Jess demands. “But it won’t be through bloodshed! Not anymore!”

“Well...never say never.” Mononuki pushes past our legs, waddling for the door. “If you all head to the elevator, you’ll see what I’m talking about...as a matter of fact, you can have full access to the entire school. Look anywhere to your heart’s content. When you’re all ready for the trial, you can just wait in the elevator.”

“What if we don’t want to do another trial?!” I demand.

“This won’t be our typical trial,” Mononuki assures. “In fact, I say we call it...your final trial. And here’s a couple things to keep in mind; who would dare do this to all of you and why would they ever want to? I’m sure you’ll find out, you’re all good sleuths.”

The final trial..? He’s really serious about this? He’s just...going to let us leave? I wonder if it’s really that simple...

We let Mononuki leave for now, talking amongst ourselves instead.

“Should we really listen to him?” Jess asks. “What if this is some kind of trap? Or a new motive he thought of?”

“We don’t know what that other floor he’s talking about is...” Harold agrees. “But do we have any other choice?”

“...I suggest we go investigate this new floor,” Cassidy says. “If Mononuki was hiding it from us, I’m sure it has importance to it.”

“It seems odd to me that he’d let us back him into a corner like that, though,” Patrick argues. “I almost get the feeling he wasn’t as shocked by this outcome as he wanted to let on.”

“Whatever the reason, I agree with Cass,” I say. “We’ll go see what this new floor is. After that, maybe we should do another sweep of the entire school. It sounds like whoever is behind this might be revealing themselves soon...”

“We’ll stick together on the new floor,” Jess suggests. “That way, we can at least keep an eye on each other. Just in case Mononuki tries anything underhanded.”

We all agreed to the plan and made our way to the stairwell elevator. There was a new button on the elevator panel, one that I didn’t recognize. With a moment of hesitation, I press it, and we began to move down, deeper into the bowels of the school. Whatever was waiting for us will have the answers we’re all looking for...

I hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is kinda short, but I promise the next parts will make up for that. I just didn't want it to be way too long, either. Had to put a break somewhere.


	45. Chapter 6: A Misty-Eyed Goodbye to All That Corrupts Me - Deadly Life Investigation

The elevator eventually stops and the doors open, revealing a sterile white hallway. There were several unmarked doors that we could enter, two on each side.

“I don’t recall seeing this space on the school map I found...” Cassidy muses. “Strange...was this space built in secret?”

“Then...Then what’s it for..?” Jess asks softly. “It makes me think of a hospital almost.”

“We might be getting a bit deeper than we all expected to,” Patrick cautions.

“Just stick together and I bet we’ll be fine,” I assure. I lead everyone deeper into the hall, out of the safety of the elevator. I take us into the first door on the left.

The room reminded me of a patient ward for a hospital. Fifteen beds were lined up in the room, eight on one side and seven on the other. They were all clean and made, like they hadn’t been used at all. Large boxes with tubes and wires coming out all over sat next to the beds. I had no idea what any of them were meant to do, but I’d wager the equipment sitting around the room was some kind of life support.

“It’s a patient ward. Strange, I don’t recall hospitalization being part of the history for this school,” Harold says.

“What are all of those machines?” Jess asks.

“...I’m not sure,” Harold admits. “I’ve never seen anything like it. Perhaps they’re meant for patient care of some kind. Life support...but they’re rather all-inclusive. Maybe for patients in comas?”

Patients...in comas? Why would the school need something like that down here..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Life Support**

_ There are life support machines in the school, suspected to be for coma patients. There are 15 in total. _

We decide to sweep out in the room to look around more for anything that could be important. Each bed came with a small nightstand, so I tried looking through them. Most were empty except...

“...hey, what’s this?” I pull out a small box that was in the back of one of the nightstands. I pop it open to find...hearing aids? Why were these down here..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Hearing Aids**

_ There is a pair of hearing aids in one of the nightstands in the patient’s ward. _

I put the hearing aids back. Other than that, though, the patient ward seemed completely stripped clean of anything useful. Whoever used to be admitted here clearly wasn’t anymore and hadn’t been for some time.

“There isn’t much to be seen here,” Patrick says. “We’ve already scoured what we could.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Cassidy starts. “How could a facility like this be built here, right under the noses of Sterling Heights Academy and the TYCP?”

“Are you saying they’re the ones that made this place?” Jess asks. “But  _ why _ ?”

“I’m not sure. We should continue our search, there might be more to see in the other rooms.”

We all make our way to the room across the hall, the first door on the right. This room appeared to be made for some kind of operation. Another of those life support machines was here, next to a bed, along with an array of tools one would need for any kind of surgical procedure. This space was clean like the patient ward as if no one had ever been in here to begin with. There was a room in the back set up as a prep station for the surgeons. There were lockers, a sink, and protective gear.

“This room gives me the heebie-jeebies...” Jess murmurs.

“We’ll make the investigation quick,” Harold assures her.

We fan out like last time to begin looking around. I make my way to the backroom to begin looking around. There was a table there with a clipboard on it. Picking it up, I could recognize it as patient reports. I flip through the pages. They’ve all been ripped pretty badly, so there was no identifying information to be found, but I could still see what the patient in question was going to be doing at the time of the writing.

They seemed pretty basic from what I could find. Most of them were for examinations and checkups. From the looks of things, these were all for one person. But as I got to the page in the very back, I pause. It wasn’t as torn as the rest, so I could see a bit more information. No name, but I had a date now.

The date of admittance was marked for the end of this year...but if it’s true that we’ve lost our memories of at least the last school year, then I suppose this date already passed. I...guess this is just more evidence of that, huh?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Memory Loss**

_ We’ve lost at least a year’s worth of memories. The last thing any of us remember is entering Sterling Heights Academy for the first time. _

This paper was also different in what it said. This wasn’t about checkups now. It...kind of looked like there was some kind of experiment going on. It read:  _ Surgery prepped for noon today. Use attempts to strengthen the brain’s ability to control-- _

It stops there, the rip in the page tearing off whatever it was meant to say after that. So...this means someone did get surgery, then? And whatever that surgery was for meant there were a lot of checkups and examinations after. Something about all of this didn’t feel right to me, though...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Patient Records**

_ Someone received surgery, followed by many follow-up examinations and checkups. It happened during our freshman year. For some reason, the pages are torn so we can’t see anything identifying the subject. _

I set the clipboard back down. Someone was brought down here and...what? Had some surgery done? It almost sounds like some kind of experiment...and it happened during our freshman year...didn’t something else happen during that year? That newspaper clipping Patrick got...maybe I should ask him about it.

I head over to Patrick, who was currently going through the lockets in the back room. He looks at me as I approach, though. “Need something?”

“Ah, I was thinking about that newspaper clipping...where did you get it?”

“Oh, that? I found it in the headmaster’s office. Someone had collected a few of them, but that one seemed the most relevant and I took it.”

“What about the rest..?”

“Mononuki stole them before I could get more. We did most of our meetings in that room, but it was the first time we had one that I got it. That moment in the cafeteria was the best time to get it to the rest of you, though.”

Hm...that at least proves it has some importance to the rest of us. “Thanks, Patrick. I’ll keep it in mind.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Newspaper Clipping**

_ Patrick found a newspaper clipping in the headmaster’s office that Mononuki seemed protective of. It talked about exposing Sterling Heights Academy, as well as mentioning the disappearance of a freshman student. _

I peer past Patrick into the locker he was going through. There was a slip of paper sticking out of the coat inside, so I grab it to look it over. It looked like some kind of written report.

_ The subject had an accident today. In all of our experiments, we hadn’t taken in consideration the idea that it could overexert itself. It’s in stable condition, but further caution must be taken to ensure its safety and health. Give it time to rest and don’t allow it to use its talent for more than a few hours at a time until it becomes more honed with it. WIth time and practice, it should be able to reach a higher threshold. For now, overuse causes severe mental, physical, and emotional stress. _

Subject...and abilities. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie. What was the school up to..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Subject Notice**

_ A notice detailing a subject and its talent. It overexerted itself because it used them for too long. It’s theorized these abilities can be used longer if given enough time to hone them. _

It didn’t seem like there was much else to be found in the room. These two rooms really belonged in a hospital, so what were they doing in the school..? Not to mention, it seems like they were picked clean of almost anything incriminating. Whatever was going on down here, someone tried hard to make sure it couldn’t be easily discovered.

We make our way out of the room and go to the second door on the left. We entered a chemistry lab that seemed reminiscent of the one upstairs. Starch white and sterile, it was styled like the hospital rooms we had just been in. There was a lot of equipment and chemicals sitting out on the tables lining the walls, clearly having been used for something beforehand. There were some cabinets to store things in and a freezer space. I doubt I’d really be able to wrap my head around what was actually going on in here. There was a table in the back of the room with a white box sitting on it.

“All of these rooms are so barren...” Jess comments softly. “I still can’t wrap my head around all of this. I mean, why is all of this down here?”

“Do you think our lost memories have anything to do with this?” Harold suggests. “Maybe the construction of all of this happened during the time we’ve forgotten.”

“That depends on how much time we actually forgot,” Patrick says. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the TYCP did their best to fund the construction of this space as quickly as possible, but that leaves the question on the practicality of this. After all, adding a new floor or an extension or even a new building would make more sense than going underground to add a space.

“If anywhere in the school would have more information on that, it would probably be the headmaster’s office,” Cassidy says. “We can go there after we finish on this floor.”

I get a bad feeling from all of this. I let the others talk as I make my way to the box in the back of the room. On close inspection, it looked like some kind of cooler. I pop it open to see there were sixteen smaller compartments inside, each one containing a steel cylinder of some kind. I carefully pull one out.

The cylinder had some kind of label on it, but it didn’t make any sense to me. Just the phrase  _ litura _ . I could see a small valve I could twist on it, as well as a small number pad. I really didn’t want to figure out what this would do.

“Hey, Harold, can you read this?” I walk over to the prodigy with the canister.

“Perhaps. Here.” He takes it from me, adjusting his glasses as he reads it over. A soft frown crosses his face. “It’s just Latin. Litura, it roughly translates to erasure.” He hands the canister back to me. “...I would suggest you put that back.”

“Yeah, got it.” I put the canister back where I found it and close the box. Erasure...I wonder if...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Canister**

_ There was a box filled with canisters in a lab of some kind. Presumably, they’re filled with gas, and are labeled with the phrase litura, the Latin word for erasure. _

“For giving us all the answers, it really just seems like the mastermind is handing us more vague nonsense,” Patrick grumbles. “This room doesn’t seem any more useful than the rest of them.”

“It’s in preparation for a trial, right?” I ask. “I doubt we’ll just be handed all the answers if we’re meant to simply figure it all out.”

“The pieces are coming together, if you’d be a little more patient,” Cassidy assures. “If we’re all done searching this room, we can move onto the next.”

Jess walks over to Patrick and gently puts a hand on his shoulder, smiling. “Don’t worry, we’re going to figure out everything. We’re not going to let Mononuki win anymore.”

“Hmph...good thing I don’t take you as the type to lie, Jessica,” Patrick says.

The five of us head across the hall to the next room. Like the room before, this one reminded me of a room from upstairs. The security room, actually, with large screens filling out the wall on the back, each one recording a room and displaying it. The control panel here seemed similar, too. There was a way to manipulate the recorded footage on a separate screen and a panel labeled similarly to the weapon controls upstairs. But there was a new control panel, one with less clearly labeled buttons, as well as a microphone and a joystick of some kind. Along with that, someone had outfitted the space to be a bedroom of some kind with a pillow and blanket on the floor nearby and some trash that showed they’d been eating and drinking down here. It definitely looked recently used.

“This must be where the mastermind was hiding,” Cassidy ponders.

“Where do you think they are now?” Patrick asks.

“They could be anywhere. Chances are, they’re waiting for us in the trial room, or even using the security room upstairs to keep an eye on us.”

So the mastermind has really been here the whole time. Right under our feet, every single day, watching us fall one by one...

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Hideout**

_ Someone has been sleeping in a hideout in the ‘basement’ of the school. _

I walk over to the control panel. “I wonder what these new buttons do. They weren’t in the security room upstairs.”

“Why don’t you press one and find out?” Patrick suggests.

“I’m not falling for that again...”

“Oh, please,” Jess says as she walks over to us. “I’ll do it. It’s not the weapon panel, I don’t think we’ll get hurt.” She presses one of the buttons in the top left.

The screen recording the entrance hall had a flash of movement that drew out attention.

“What’s Mononuki doing out there?” Harold asks.

“Um...oh, I think this button will let us hear it!” Jess says as she presses one of the buttons again.

“I’m not a stuffed animal...and I’m not a raccoon, either!” Mononuki said to the empty room. After a moment, the paw swats at nothing. He gets to his feet again and yawns. “...yep...I moved. Do you know how exhausting it is to move around..?” There are several more seconds of silence. “...huh? C’mon, I already said I’m no toy. I’m  _ yaaaawwn~ _ ...Headmaster Mononuki...the first tanuki headmaster. Ain’t that something..?”

“...I’m getting the striking sense of deja vu...” Harold murmurs softly.

“That’s what he said on our first day here,” I say. “Was...that entire interaction prerecorded?”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Patrick interjects. “Mononuki was interacting with us then. He’s been doing so the entire time. There’s no way someone could so accurately predict what we’d all do and say.”

“But then what else is this supposed to mean?” Jess asks. “Why have all of this saved?”

“Press the button again,” Cassidy suggests. “See what happens.”

Jess does as she was told. Mononuki stops talking and disappears from his spot. I think I saw him enter a hole in the floor. He didn’t reappear anywhere, so Jess kept pressing the button. Once, twice, three, four times...and then we saw him again, standing in the stairwell connecting the first and second floor, where the gate used to be.

“It looks like he’s unlocking the gate,” Patrick says. “...at least, that’s what he’d be doing if it was still there.”

Cassidy was flipping through her notes with a frown. “...that took place four days after the initial announcement of the killing game. Jessica, how many times did you press the button?”

“Oh, four,” Jess confirms.

“Let me see something...” I murmur. I start pressing the button again, over and over and over. Mononuki would reappear occasionally, only to disappear again the next time I clicked it. We saw him in the entrance hall sometimes, unlocking more of the gates...after sitting in the headmaster’s office and handing out nothing to an empty chair, we didn’t see him again until he was in the entrance hall.

“--about the killing game..?” Mononuki asks the empty room. “Aw man...I didn’t want to have to explain it...” There’s a break of silence. “Well...a killing game is what it says on the tin! It’s a game where you kill...uh, each other in this case. Y’know, however you wanna do it, I don’t really care. I wonder what other kinds of killing games there are...”

“He reset,” Harold comments. “So the mastermind only recorded enough of Mononuki’s interactions up until some time after he gave us the blackmail, based on what he was doing there. Based on what I can tell, they must be set to a clock, otherwise, we should have seen Mononuki more.”

“We’ve been seeing him since the blackmail,” Patrick says. “So how does that work?”

“Then those interactions must have been recorded live,” Cassidy answers. “I’m not sure why the mastermind would suddenly need to change that, though...”

The whole idea of these interactions being pre-recorded is strange to me. There’s no possible way someone could predict the way we’d interact with Mononuki...right..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Mononuki’s Recordings**

_ Most of Mononuki’s behaviors were pre-recorded. This seems to stop around the time the blackmail was handed out. The interactions are set to a clock. _

“...hm.” Patrick begins to test out some of the other buttons. It seemed like some of them made Mononuki perform certain actions, such as yawn or pop up in different places. “I suppose this panel has everything needed to record what the mastermind would need...but I wonder...”

Mononuki was standing in the cafeteria when Patrick leaned down to the microphone and pressed down on a button in front of it.

“What happens when I try to use this microphone?” Patrick and Mononuki both say at the same time.

“Woah, it worked!” Jess exclaims. “Hey, let me try this!” Jess grabs the joystick and begins to move it around in a circle. Mononuki walks in a circle in the cafeteria.

“Then it’s not just recordings that can be made here,” Harold confirms. “It’s entirely possible to manipulate Mononuki live. Which begs the question of why anyone would need to record his reactions in the first place...”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Mononuki Control Panel**

_ There’s a panel in the mastermind’s hideout that can be used to control Mononuki live. _

“Mm...alright, I’ve decided!” Jess says. “I’m going to make sure we scour this place top to bottom. The mastermind has definitely been living down here, so there has to be something of theirs that we can use to identify them!”

“They don’t seem to have brought many personal items,” Cassidy says. “Just a sleeping space and some food.”

“There has to be something!” Jess goes over to the sleeping space set up in the room and we go with her. She checks under the blanket and pillow and in each discarded wrapper and bottle. She turns up empty on all fronts, though.

“I really thought there’d be something here...” Jess says, dejected.

“...it’s strange that there’s nothing else,” Cassidy comments. “No bathroom, no showers, no clothes, nowhere to store food...I can’t imagine the mastermind would simply come down here and expect to need none of that for extended periods of time.”

“There are plenty of bedrooms upstairs that don’t have any occupants anymore,” Patrick says.

“What about those first few days?” I ask in return. “All sixteen of us were alive then, it’s not possible that the mastermind wouldn’t have planned for that.”

“...right, new plan!” Jess declares. “I’m going to stay down here and review the footage. If the mastermind ever stepped foot outside of their room, I’ll be sure to catch it!”

“I’ll stay with you,” Harold says. “I don’t want to leave you here alone.”

“The rest of us should go back upstairs, then,” Patrick says. “We can do another sweep of the school for anything that might be important. We can catch the two of you up later.”

“I think that sounds like the best course of action,” Cassidy agrees. “We’ll start with the fourth floor. If there’s anything important to be found there now, this’ll be the time to do so.”

From there, we break off into two groups. Harold and Jess get right to reviewing the footage available while the rest of us go back to the elevator and take it to the fourth floor to restart our investigation.

Cassidy, Patrick, and I make our way back to the headmaster’s office. It seemed like the best place to begin tearing apart for information. Patrick stops in the doorway, though, looking over at the computer at the secretary’s desk. “...I’ll stay out here. Maybe there’s a way into the computer now that we’re being given more range.”

“Ah, alright. Let us know if you make any breakthroughs,” I say as I follow Cassidy into the office.

The headmaster’s office was the same as I remembered it. Of course, I hadn’t taken the time to really search it. With everything happening before, Sasha’s death and the looming trial, I really didn’t have the time to risk it. But I was going to make up for that now!

Cassidy sat down at the computer to try and get it logged in while I worked on going through the desk’s drawers on the hunt for anything that looked remotely important.

Patrick found that newspaper clipping here somewhere. I hope I can find the rest of the issue. It has to be connected if it was something Mononuki considered important enough to keep. I just need one more page of it, a name for the missing student, any of the information leaked from the academy...

There were various pieces of information in the desk’s drawers. Letters and notices, but none of them seemed relevant. I did find a class roster marked for...well, what I considered the current year. But just like those student files Cassidy found in the file room, it seemed accurate to those trapped in the killing game. We were the freshman class of that year, no doubt about it.

After I had finished my search, I managed to find two documents that seemed important. The first one was a page from the newspaper that the clipping had been cut from, since I found the space to put it back into. The second was a notice of some kind.

The newspaper was a dead lead, from the looks of things. Just the front page, which didn’t have any more information I needed. No names or information of any kind. The section we had with us was all this part of the paper discussed. However, I did get to at least see the date this was printed. It...was the year I thought it was--our freshman year at Sterling Heights Academy. This paper was published in January, over halfway through the first year. Then...that means the person that went missing was...

**Truth Bullet Updated: Newspaper Clipping**

_ Patrick found a newspaper clipping in the headmaster’s office that Mononuki seemed protective of. It talked about exposing Sterling Heights Academy, as well as mentioning the disappearance of a freshman student. The paper was published the same year we were attending Sterling Heights Academy. _

I decide to look over the notice next. It seemed important because of some of the phrasing I had noticed glancing over it. Taking a closer look, I could see it read:

_ Hello, Headmaster _

_ We’re sure that a notice like this may seem like an odd way to hear from us, but we thought it was best if a paper trail was left for your own convenience. You may know us individually as Ultimate students part of the TYCP, but together, we’d like to introduce ourselves as New World Order. _

_ We’ve decided that this school, this entire program, is drowning in corruption. And that’s not just us noticing, as I’m sure you’re aware. Everyone is noticing. Every single person is noticing because all eyes are on us. As students of this school and members of this program, we want to assure you that we will do everything we can to repair the fallen name of the Talented Youth Cultivation Program. We will rid it of its corruption and its rot and bring in a new age of hope and prosperity. _

_ All we ask in return is your full and undivided attention. We also ask for your cooperation. You’re desperate. We know you are. The entire world is tired and desperate, and we promise to deliver to you all a new world and a new order. We’ll make sure to take control of everything, so that you may be able to wipe your hands of us should our plans fail. But bear in mind, we want to be heard, and we have the means to make sure you listen. We’ll have a personal meeting with you later and we have a proposition to make. _

_ We’d like to have a test. _

I put a hand over my mouth, suddenly feeling weak. New...World Order..? What...What the hell is this..? Some of this phrasing seems familiar to me, but what really sticks out is that word.  _ Test _ . That’s what we decided this entire game was, isn’t it? Could this group and that note Cassidy found before be related?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Notice to the Headmaster**

_ A letter was written to the headmaster by a group known as New World Order, made of students from the TYCP. It details a desire to meet with the headmaster of Sterling Heights Academy to ask about describing a plan of some kind. _

“Hey, Cass, you should really have a look at this...” I murmur, sliding the notice to her.

“Sure. You can look at the computer, I found the login information under the keyboard.” She looks away from the computer screen to pick it up. I peer over her shoulder at the computer screen.

There was no internet connection, but it looked like there were some files we could access on the computer. The ones Cassidy had pulled up seemed to be logs for an email conversation between the headmaster and someone else.

_ Do whatever you can to keep them quiet. I don’t care what it takes. Our research is too important. We’re about to make a massive breakthrough. _

_ Of course, Headmaster. As for an update on the subject, it’s been moving forward remarkably well. It seems like the surgery was far more successful than we anticipated. _

_ Good. With this, maybe we can make some progress on this strange phenomenon. No, we have to. It’s for the good of everyone that a breakthrough is made, no matter the cost. It’s just one student. It’s not like there isn’t some scandal coming out about them every day now. _

_ Should we move forward to reintegration soon? It’s learned how to replicate its original personality and we’ve created a cover story for the disappearance. _

_ Sure, the parents have been breathing down my neck again lately. Whatever it takes to repair the name of the TYCP. We’re here for the good of everyone, and that’s what we’ll always be here for. The few for the many, right? _

_ The few for the many, Headmaster. _

That bad feeling bubbling away inside of me was only getting more intense. We were uncovering some kind of grand conspiracy here, weren’t we? And...we were in the middle of it all now.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Email Logs #1**

_ Emails between the headmaster and another person. They talk about a ‘subject’ that had a surgery performed on them and needed a cover story so they can be brought back to the public. Their personality had also suffered and needed to be remade. Whatever this is, it was done in the name of the TYCP and ‘the few for the many’. _

There was a second log to read, and it seemed to be the last one Cassidy was able to gain access to. Once again, it was between the headmaster and someone else.

_ We’re glad to hear you’ve agreed to our terms. I’ll see you in my office soon then, yes? _

_ Yeah, I’ll be there. But what about my parents? I didn’t think they’d ever let me do something like this. Did you manage to convince them? _

_ Not quite, but you don’t have to concern yourself over this. Once it’s all over, you’ll be returned to them safe and sound. Just remember. This is for everyone. The few for the many. _

_ The few for the many? _

_ It’s just a saying we have around here. I’ll see you soon. _

Huh...I wonder what this is supposed to be. Without the rest of the conversation and the names marked out, it was hard to tell what exactly I was reading. Still...this has to be important somehow.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Email Logs #2**

_ A set of emails between the headmaster and another person, talking about something the person’s parents wouldn’t like. They were going to have a meeting soon. _

Cassidy seemed similarly disturbed as she read over the notice I showed her a second time. “This is what I feared. It sounds like a terrorist group of some kind has been infiltrating the school...perhaps the entire program was compromised.”

“I...I think that’s all we’re really going to find in here,” I say. “Let’s go see if Patrick has had any luck, okay?”

“...right.” Cassidy gets up and makes her way out of the room. I follow closely behind her.

Patrick seems to have gotten into the secretary’s computer. He turns to look at us as we entered the room. “Hey, managed to find something...not exactly what I was expecting, but it’s something.”

“What is it?” I ask, walking over to peer over his shoulder.

It looks like Patrick had pulled up a news site of some kind. “I think the secretary had this open before the school was...reused. The screen is only partially loaded, likely because of the lack of internet, so I can’t read all of it. I thought it was just some kind of tabloid but...well...you read it.”

The article Patrick had pulled up was only a couple of paragraphs, but I could see the title clear as day.

**_The End of the TYCP or the End of the World?_ **

_ As more and more is brought to everyone’s attention about the once prosperous TYPC, we find ourselves unsure how to move forward with it all. Many talented people are facing complications as more stories of fraud and lies and bribery and other crimes begin to crop up. Even those without such pasts are under scrutiny. _

_ However, these behaviors are leaking further into our life. Accomplishments and skills of all kinda are looked down on and questioned, creating a rise of apathy and indifference in most people. According to a recent study, over 50% of people claim to have little to no hope in the future. _

_ It’s predicted that this behavior will only increase if something isn’t done about it soon. As it stands, it has already begun affecting our daily life. The economy and job market around the world is entering a record slump, and economists are predicting _

That...was where the article stopped loading. I’ve never heard about any of  _ this. _ What the hell was going on outside the school..?

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Article Online**

_ An article on the secretary’s computer details a growing worldwide apathy, resulting in failures in the economy. It all seems to be rooted in constant exposures of TYCP members’ corruption. _

“Is that all you could find on the computer?” I ask.

“Just about,” Patrick confirms. “Anything else seemed irrelevant or established information.”

“Right, okay...we should go check in on Jess and Harold then. Maybe they’ve seen something useful. We can catch them up, too.”

We make our way back to the hallway, but the elevator doors wouldn’t open when we pressed the button. We had to wait as it came to us, Jess and Harold standing inside.

“Oh, good, you’re here!’ Jess says as she steps out of the elevator.

“Did you guys review all the footage already?” I ask.

“We fast forward through it, but yes,” Harold confirms. “The thing is...we didn’t see anything strange. We looked through all the footage for the first floor at nighttime, but we didn’t see anyone entering any of the bedrooms that they shouldn’t have been. The only thing we really noticed that was strange were the lights in the vacant bedrooms and the areas locked off at night being off. It made them pitch black during the night.”

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Footage Review**

_ Jess and Harold looked through the footage, but there was no sign of the mastermind on it. The now-empty bedrooms, as well as rooms locked at night, are all pitch black due to the lights being shut off in them. _

“No sign of the mastermind then...” Cassidy frowns. “There must be something else we’re missing, then.”

“Why don’t we go investigate the bedrooms then?” Patrick suggests. “We can look for another way inside.”

“This whole school is covered in weapons. It could be just as covered in secret passageways,” Harold says.

“Then we need to start searching!” Jess declares. “Let’s start with our own rooms first. If we don’t find anything, then we can start looking in everyone else’s.”

We make our way down the stairs and to the bedroom hallway, where we each go into our own rooms to begin searching our rooms from top to bottom for any possible way to sneak into them.

We don’t end up finding anything in our rooms, so the five of us meet up in the hallway again.

“Nothing on my end,” Jess says.

“Same here,” I agree.

“Hm...it could be possible we’re merely going about this the wrong way,” Patrick suggests. “The mastermind could simply be leaving the school, for instance. They might not have even been in the building for some time, for all we know.”

“We should check the other bedrooms anyway,” Cassidy says.

“Should we go through more of the school?” Harold asks. “It’s not just bedrooms the mastermind would need access to. The cafeteria, for instance, would be important.”

“We should check the entire first floor,” Patrick suggests. “I can handle the rest of the bedrooms.”

“I’ll help you!” Jess says.

“Then Harold, Wayne, and I can take the rest of the first floor,” Cassidy says.

We all break off again, now expanding our search. Cassidy took the hall of classrooms and Harold went to the cafeteria, so I take on the last hall. I went to the gym first, figuring it’d be best to go through such a large room as soon as possible.

The gym seemed clear, so I head into the sports storage room to start looking around. It was a lot more cluttered with all the equipment sitting around, so I had to move a lot of it out of the way. I pull too hard on a tarp, through, causing an entire shelf’s worth of items to come falling down onto me. I let out a scream and stumble back, crashing into the wall. It gives away against me almost immediately, though, and I tumble to the floor with a grunt, a couple basketballs bouncing past me.

I groan softly and sit up, rubbing my head. “Ow...what the hell..?” I look around the space. It was small and cramped, but I could see a hatch in the floor. Is this...how the mastermind was getting back upstairs without getting caught? I could see a path leading deeper into the space behind the walls, but wherever it went...I didn’t get the chance to find out.

“Um...so, I’m getting a little tired of waiting,” Mononuki said over the announcement. “I know I said you guys could have all the time you want, but I think we should really get this moving along, huh..? Head to the elevator, please... _ now _ .”

“W-What?!” I demand to no one. He’s changing the deal! But...I didn’t have a way to fight him on it. And...I didn’t want to find out what he’ll do if I keep them waiting. Begrudgingly, I head to the elevator, meeting everyone there, keeping that secret space in mind for now.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Secret Passageway**

_ A secret passageway is located behind a false wall in the gym’s storage closet. It seems to lead farther into the school and there’s a hatch in the floor. _

“Are we really ready for this?” Harold asks. “It doesn’t feel like it...we still haven’t figured out who’s behind this.”

“...I think we have enough to make it through the trial,” Cassidy assures. “I trust that we’re all prepared. Any mysteries left open still, we can solve then.”

“I believe in Cassidy,” Jess says. “If she thinks we’re ready...then we’re ready!”

I can’t argue with that. Cassidy wouldn’t lead us astray like that, so I’m going to believe in her. Ah, speaking of Cassidy, though, there is one more thing I want to keep in mind. That information she had found could prove useful in this trial.

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Cassidy’s Discoveries**

_ Cassidy found three things of interest in the file room. Student records for our class, a note left by New World Order, and a notice from Sterling Heights Academy talking about luck. _

The five of us make our way into the elevator together, and once inside, the doors close behind us and it begins moving down to the trial room.

This...was really it, wasn’t it? This was the last trial. We’ll find the mastermind, uncover every mystery, and escape. We have to. For us, for everyone that died so we could get here, we were going to escape this killing game! No matter what!

“Wayne,” Cassidy says to me.

“Hm? Is something the matter?”

“No, just...whatever happens down there, I trust you to get us through it. Just like every trial before.”

I smile softly. “Thanks. I’ll do everything I can.”

“I know you will. That’s...just how you are.”

The elevator soon comes to a stop and the doors open, letting us all step outside. This was it. The final class trial has begun..!


	46. Trial 6 Truth Bullets

Truth Bullets

**Truth Bullet: Life Support**

_ There are life support machines in the school, suspected to be for coma patients. There’s 15 in total. _

**Truth Bullet: Hearing Aids**

_ There is a pair of hearing aids in one of the nightstands in the patient’s ward. _

**Truth Bullet: Memory Loss**

_ We’ve lost at least a year’s worth of memories. The last thing any of us remember is entering Sterling Heights Academy for the first time. _

**Truth Bullet: Patient Records**

_ Someone received surgery, followed by many followup examinations and checkups. It happened during the freshman year. For some reason, the pages are torn so we can’t see anything identifying the patient. _

**Truth Bullet: Subject Notice**

_ A notice detailing a subject and its talent. It overexerted itself because it used them for too long. It’s theorized these abilities can be used longer if given enough time to hone them. _

**Truth Bullet: Canister**

_ There was a box filled with canisters in a lab of some kind. Presumably, they’re filled with gas, and are labeled with the phrase litura, the Latin word for erasure. _

**Truth Bullet: Hideout**

_ Someone has been sleeping in a hideout in the ‘basement’ of the school. _

**Truth Bullet: Mononuki’s Recordings**

_ Most of Mononuki’s behaviors were pre-recorded. This seems to stop around the time the blackmail was handed out. The interactions are set to a clock. _

**Truth Bullet: Mononuki Control Panel**

_ There’s a panel in the mastermind’s hideout that can be used to control Mononuki live. _

**Truth Bullet: Newspaper Clipping**

_ Patrick found a newspaper clipping in the headmaster’s office that Mononuki seemed protective of. It talked about exposing Sterling Heights Academy, as well as mentioning the disappearance of a freshman student. That student had been a part of our class, since the paper was published the same year we were attending Sterling Heights Academy. _

**Truth Bullet: Notice to the Headmaster**

_ A letter was written to the headmaster by a group known as New World Order, made of students from the TYCP. It details a desire to meet with the headmaster of Sterling Heights Academy to ask about describing a plan of some kind. _

**Truth Bullet: Email Logs #1**

_ Emails between the headmaster and another person. They talk about a ‘subject’ that had surgery performed on them and need a cover story so they can be brought back to the public. Their personality also suffered and needed to be remade. Whatever this is, it was done in the name of the TYCP and ‘the few for the many’. _

**Truth Bullet: Email Logs #2**

_ A set of emails between the headmaster and another person, talking about something the person’s parents wouldn’t like. They were going to have a meeting soon. _

**Truth Bullet: Article Online**

_ An article on the secretary’s computer details a growing worldwide apathy, resulting in failures in the economy. It all seems to be rooted in constant exposures of TYCP members’ corruption. _

**Truth Bullet: Footage Review**

_ Jess and Harold looked through the footage, but there was no sign of the mastermind on it. The now-empty bedrooms, as well as rooms locked at night, were all pitch black, due to the lights being shut off in them. _

**Truth Bullet Obtained: Secret Passageway**

_ A secret passageway is located behind a false wall in the gym’s storage closet. It seems to lead farther into the school and there’s a hatch in the floor. _

**Truth Bullet: Cassidy’s Discoveries**

_ Cassidy found three things of interest in the file room. Student records for our class, a note left by New World Order, and a notice from Sterling Heights Academy talking about luck. _


	47. Chapter 6: A Misty-Eyed Goodbye to All That Corrupts Me - Deadly Life Final Trial Part I

The five of us step out of the elevator and into the trial room. The trial room’s glitz and glamor was gone. All the gold and jewels and expensive decorations had been stripped away, leaving everything looking bare and drab. The walls were stripped clean of the wallpaper they used to have, showing the concrete under it with the tattered edges all that remained. The room was being lit up with fluorescent light now. The portraits still stood where they usually were, with Nancy’s added as the latest addition with a flat X marking off her face.

We all take our usual spaces. Mononuki was no longer sitting in a glamorous throne, but instead a chair that was taken from one of the classrooms. His head kept nodding forward, like he was about to pass out on the spot.

“Mm...this is so uncomfortable...” Mononuki mumbles. “We should get this over with quickly...so, um, I think I mentioned before...but this trial is going to be different from the rest. You’ll still be debating to expose someone else...the mastermind, in this case. When you all reach a conclusion, you can just lemme know...”

“What happens if we’re wrong?” Patrick asks. “What happens then?”

“Oh...mm...since this isn’t a blackened trial, I guess I can’t really execute you...” Mononuki pouts. “...if you’re wrong, then it’s trial over. We’ll just continue the killing game like before! Murder to escape, or reside in this school for the rest of your lives.”

“So in other words, we have one chance to put an end to this...” Harold says softly.

“Then...Then we all need to work together and try our best!” Jess declares. “As long as we do that, I know that we’ll get out of this alive!”

“Where do we even start with something like this, though?” I ask. “It could be...anyone, really.”

“We should try to determine a way to narrow it down more,” Cassidy suggests. “Perhaps we can start with this question: is the mastermind one of us?”

“One of...us?” Jess repeats. “Do you really think..?”

“It’s just a bouncing off point,” Cassidy assures with a wave of her hand. “It’s the most obvious question to work with. The only people we’ve interacted with since we were trapped here were each other, so they’d be the easiest suspects to work with. If it’s wrong, we can figure that out along the way.”

“It’s as good of a point to work with as any,” Patrick agrees.

It’s official then. This trial has begun, and in the end, we have to point the accusing finger at the mastermind. This is our one chance for escape, and I won’t let it get away from us!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I don’t want to believe it’s one of us...” Jess says softly.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be,” Patrick assures. “It could be anyone, really. We’re famous. Easy targets for a stunt like this.”

“It could be **any student** at the school,” Harold says. “Or maybe the **headmaster** , or some other **staff member**.”

“...I think I remember something we talked about a while ago,” Jess says. “When Cassidy showed us the files she found.”

“What was that?” Cassidy asks as she flips through her notes.

“We...talked about the possibility of a **terrorist organization** , didn’t we?”

It doesn’t prove if one of us is or isn’t the mastermind, but...one of those suggestions sounds familiar to me!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Notice to the Headmaster**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I declare.

“Ah! ...w-wait, you do?!” Jess demands.

“There was a notice written to the headmaster I found in the office. It...almost read like a threat. It was written by a group of TYCP members calling themselves New World Order. I think...I think they’re responsible for this killing game. They wanted to propose a test of some kind to the headmaster.”

“Which would mean you think one of them has to be the mastermind then?” Patrick asks.

“Yeah...I do.”

“They’re...TYCP students?” Harold asks. “So then it could still be one of us. In fact, it seems even more likely now.”

Is the mastermind...really one of us? One of the five people standing in this room...can it really be us? There’s something that’s making it hard to believe...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Footage Review

>Secret Passageway

>Hideout

_... >Hideout _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “There’s one issue with the theory that one of us is the mastermind. That being, someone has been living in the hideout in the basement!”

“It’d be unlikely any one of us would choose to take the time to sleep and eat down there,” Cassidy agrees. “We’d notice if they were gone long enough to need that.”

Jess lets out a soft sigh of relief. “Then it’s none of us..? Thank goodness.”

“So, a TYCP member but not anyone in this room...I suppose that does narrow down our list of choices,” Patrick agrees.

“But it’s still a wide margin of people to sift through,” Harold says. “We don’t know who the members of this New World Organization are, after all.”

“We don’t necessarily need to find out all of their identities,” Patrick says. “We just need to figure out which one is in charge of this killing game.”

“I don’t remember seeing anything that named anyone...” Jess murmurs.

There weren’t really any names, but there could be a way to find out more about this mastermind, right? We’ve found so much, something must tell the story!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Picking any number of TYCP students would be like throwing a dart at the board with your eyes closed,” Patrick says.

“There’s nothing we’ve found **naming a certain student** , is there?” Harold asks.

“Not that I’ve seen,” Cassidy answers. “Other than class rosters, but that’s hardly indicative of anything.”

“Then maybe there’s someone we can think of that seems willing to join a group like this?” Jess suggests.

“We **don’t know anyone** like that, though,” Harold says.

Do we really not know them, though? There is someone mentioned a few times that I think would have reason to act out like this...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Email Logs #1**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“It...is?” Harold asks. “Do you have a suspect then?”

“Not quite,” I admit. “But there is someone I’ve seen mentioned a lot that seems related to all of this somehow. Someone referred to as a subject in several documents, like an email log we found on the headmaster’s computer.”

“A subject? Like an experiment?” Patrick asks.

“That’s how they were spoken about,” Cassidy explains. “Someone like that might have reason to target the TYCP or Sterling Heights.”

“Then...is that what that secret floor was for?” Harold asks. “Sterling Heights...was experimenting on someone?”

“I can’t imagine how awful that must have been to experience...” Jess says softly. “But...why target us, then? What do we have to do with any of it?!”

“Do we have anything to do with it?” Patrick asks. “For all we know, our class was chosen at complete random. This whole killing game seems more like it’s trying to make a statement than take revenge on any one person or persons.”

“That notice written by New World Order seems to lean that way,” I agree. “This is some kind of test. It has something to do with the corruption bleeding into the TYCP.”

“This killing game...is to test our reactions, then, if I understand correctly,” Harold says. “It’s testing to see how far we can be pushed before we’re willing to go so far as to take another person’s life.”

“Secrets, friends and family, personal safety...this game has been targeting whatever weakness it can reach,” Cassidy adds. “The entire foundation of this killing game is on the basis of ripping us all apart until nothing redeemable remains.”

“And where does that leave all of you, I wonder..?” Mononuki asks softly from his seat.

“What are you talking about?” Patrick asks.

“Oh, nevermind. I think you were all talking about this...subject you mentioned? But are they really relevant to this killing game? For all you know, you might’ve just stumbled into a totally different conspiracy happening here.”

“Ignore him. If anything, he’s trying to distract us,” Cassidy says.

“Or maybe I’m just trying to help you all,” Mononuki replies. “After all, I am your dear headmaster. I’d hate to see my students fail... _yaaaawn_...”

Mononuki...whoever is behind you is watching this right now, aren’t they? If we’re getting closer to finding who you are, then I wonder...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“So the subject...what kind of surgery was done on them?” Jess asks.

“Nothing said anything about it,” Patrick says. “ **There’s very little information** about who this person might be.”

“If you want a helpful hint...” Mononuki begins.

“I doubt you’ll do anything helpful,” Harold replies.

“I just want to help my dear students! This isn’t a murder, so I want to be there for you. The reason you haven’t been able to find information about this subject is because **they aren’t important.** I mean, that makes sense, right..?”

Is that really the reason we can’t find anything about this person? Or is there something else?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Patient Records**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I shout.

“Wh-Wha?” Mononuki perks up in surprise. “Wow...you really said that to me...I’m so proud I could... _yaaaawn_...”

“I think someone’s been hiding the identity of this person on purpose. Those patient records we found in the basement area were ripped so we couldn’t see anything identifying on them. Why would anyone do that unless there was something to hide?!”

“Oh, well, um...mm...” Mononuki’s head droops a bit. Was he sleeping..?

“This subject is our only lead,” Cassidy says. “Mononuki, you’re only trying to get in our way because we’re on the right track now, right?”

“I can’t believe you’d accuse me of something so devious...” Mononuki points, his tail drooping along with his head now.

“Even if the subject is important, we still don’t have a way to identify them,” Harold says. “You said so yourself just now, Wayne. Anything we could use to actually identify this person is gone.”

“So it’s a dead-end even if we are right...” Jess says softly.

A dead-end...did we really hit an impasse of some kind? I don’t want to believe that. There must be something else we can do...

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Are we really at a **dead-end?** ” Jess asks. “What do we do now?”

“Maybe there’s something we aren’t seeing. Something that can identify this subject,” Patrick suggests.

“Every room in the lower level seemed stripped clean, though,” Harold says. “It was like no one was ever down there.”

“Someone worked hard to scrub this clean,” Cassidy agrees. “It might not have even been the mastermind that did it, though. I doubt the school or the program would ever want someone putting the pieces together, regardless of this killing game.”

“Then our **one suspect** is worthless,” Patrick growls.

Our one suspect...is there only one person we know of worth talking about?

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Newspaper Clipping**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“We only have one suspect, Wayne,” Patrick repeats.

“But there is one other person who we’ve heard of in everything we’ve seen, right?” I ask. “You know better than any of us. It was you that stole that newspaper clipping.”

“Hm..? Oh, right. It mentioned a student that went missing, didn’t it?”

“That’s right. And wasn’t Mononuki protective over it? He must not have wanted you to see it.”

“So...wait, then, does that mean there are two suspects?” Jess asks. “The person that went missing and the person that was turned into a subject for an experiment...”

“Two people we don’t have much information on,” Cassidy corrects. “But...you have a reason to be bringing that person up, don’t you, Wayne?”

...do I? These two people, one missing and one experimented on, have to be relevant somehow to this killing game. So what is it..?

[PSYCHE TAXI]

Why are these two people so important to us?

_ >Mononuki is protective of their identities _

_ >They can save us _

_ >There’s nothing important about them _

_... >Mononuki is protective of their identities _

Is there anything conclusive we know about these two people?

_ >Their names and faces _

_ >What their talents are _

_ >The year they were both relevant _

_... >The year they were both relevant _

What year were both of these people relevant?

_ >This year _

_ >Our freshman year _

_ >Before we arrived at school _

_... >Our freshman year _

Is there any conclusion we can draw from that?

_ >It was a coincidence _

_ >These people knew each other _

_ >They are the same person _

_... >They are the same person _

“I’ve come to a conclusion!” I announce. “What if these two people...aren’t two people?”

“What do you mean by that?” Jess asks.

“I mean, what if instead of two different people, we’re still talking about the same person?”

“How do you know that? We don’t know who either of them are,” Harold demands.

“It’s the dates on the reports talking about them, isn’t it?” Cassidy asks. “That newspaper clipping and the patient records both had dates that would place them around the same time frame. Our freshman year, the one we’ve presumably forgotten.”

“If they were doing experiments on a student, they’d have to ‘disappear’ for an extended period of time, wouldn’t they?” Patrick asks. “Perhaps it was a cover story the school used. It’s vague, with no clear motives or culprits. Perfect to explain a student suddenly vanishing.”

“I expected better of my students,” Mononuki pipes up.

“Would you stop calling us that?!” Harold snaps. “We are _not_ your students!”

“Not when you use such weak evidence like that,” Mononuki agrees. “I mean, lots of things can happen in the same year. But that doesn’t mean they’re all connected...”

“So you want to suggest that these events are unrelated to each other,” Cassidy explains.

“If all you have is a year to tie them together...then I think I will!” Mononuki declares.

I know we have to be on the right track if Mononuki keeps interrupting us. Could he be doing it on purpose? Either way, he...begrudgingly makes a good point. We can’t say my theory is conclusive without something stronger. There must be something, though...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Email Logs #1

>Email Logs #2

>Notice to the Headmaster

_... >Emails Logs #2 _

“It has to be that!” I say. “There was a second set of emails on the computer we got to see. It seems like it was between a student and the headmaster. They were talking about the student agreeing to something, and the headmaster was going to get around their parents to figure it out.”

“That something...could it have been the experiments?” Patrick asks. “That would make a strong motive for why a cover story of sudden disappearance would need to be made for a freshman student.”

“Wait,” Jess says. “You...You said that it was a freshman student that went missing? Wouldn’t that mean...it’s one of our classmates?”

“But we already decided it wouldn’t make sense for any of us to be the mastermind,” Harold says.

“One of our classmates, but not one of us,” Cassidy muses. “...is there something we might be missing, then?”

 _Are_ we missing something? It seems like it’s impossible for anyone in our class to be the mastermind...unless...it’s one of _them_.

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>The Blackened

>The victims

>The survivors

_... >The Blackened _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “There is still one group of people that could possibly be the mastermind...the blackened.”

“That can’t be right!” Jess demands. “They’re...They’re dead, aren’t they? We...We watched them _die_...”

“It can’t be any of us,” Harold says. “And...we saw those corpses before. The victims were all dead.”

“But Jessica is correct,” Patrick says. “We watched the blackened die, too.”

“Maybe...there’s some way one of them isn’t dead, though,” I suggest. “I think that reason would be...”

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

__________

E_ec___i_s

_Executions_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I say. “The executions...they were all played to us as videos, right? So isn’t it possible that even one of them was fake? We wouldn’t have any reason to believe otherwise, if it was.”

“Then that narrows down our suspect pool, doesn’t it?” Patrick asks. “There were six people executed in this game. Francesa, Perseus, Rita and Tyler, Rick, and Nancy. If Wayne’s right, that’s what it comes down to.”

“There’s one problem with that theory, though,” Cassidy says. “The hideout had no obvious ways for a person to take basic care of themselves. But when Jessica and Harold looked over the footage, they saw no one on it.”

“It would be a problem if the mastermind was someone we suspected as dead and we happened to see them,” Harold agrees. “That evidence alone lends more to the idea that it would be one of us...”

I know I have to be getting closer to the truth. But as long as all these contradictory facts remain, I’m never going to reach it. I need to prove to them how it fits together!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“The mastermind being a blackened would explain why they’d have to stay in their hideout,” Patrick says.

“But we would have **seen them on the footage** , right?” Jess asks.

“I know for a fact that **no one suspicious** was out of their rooms at night,” Harold agrees.

“We discussed the idea of the mastermind having an alternate way to one of the bedrooms, however,” Patrick says.

“ **Nobody found** a secret passage, however,” Cassidy replies.

The mastermind had to be moving around us without us knowing. And I know exactly how they did it!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Secret Passageway**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I shout out.

“What do you mean?” Cassidy asks in turn. “Did you..?”

“Find a secret passage? I did, actually. A false wall in the gym’s storage closet led me to one. I didn’t get a chance to follow it to an endpoint, but I bet it would have gone to the cafeteria or one of the bedrooms. So then the mastermind could still be--”

“That is demonstrably false!” Harold cuts in.

“Huh? It is..?”

“Jessica and I didn’t watch over all of that footage for nothing. I know for a fact that nobody dead stepped foot on screen. You can’t just begin running off with your wild theories like that, Wayne!”

“But Harold, it has to--”

“It doesn’t have to be anything. They’re all dead, dammit! We watched the same executions! You can’t convince me that those were fake!”

Harold...it’s because of Perseus, isn’t it? If it’s true that he’s not dead, then not only would his brother be the mastermind, but all that pain he went through was for nothing. But if it is true, then it means that his brother...didn’t have to die. Even if the truth pains him, I know it has to be real!

[CROSS-SWORDS IMMINENT]

/ _“Every one of those executions was painfully real, Wayne.”_ /

/ _“The blackened and the victims are both dead and we have proof of that.”_ /

/ _“There was no way someone could have gone into any of those rooms_ **_without us seeing_ ** _on the footage!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Footage Review**

“No, there are places the mastermind could have gone without being spotted. There were blind spots in the cameras!”

[ADVANCE]

/ _“Blind spots? The only thing blind here right now is you!”_ /

/ _“Jessica can back up everything I’m saying right now, you weren’t even there!”_ /

/ _“_ **_We saw everything_ ** _, and there wasn’t a single person moving around that shouldn’t have been!”_ /

**LOAD Truth Blade: Footage Review**

“I’LL CUT THROUGH YOUR WORDS!” I cry out.

“G-Gggghhk!” Harold grunts and staggers back, holding his arms up defensively. “What...What are you saying..?!”

“Do you remember what you mentioned to us when you explained the footage you watched? You said the bedrooms and the rooms that get locked at night had their lights off. So at night, they were pitch black inside. So it stands to reason you couldn’t have seen anyone moving in those rooms no matter what!”

“That’s...That might be...possible...” Harold admits softly. “...I’m sorry. I...just...”

“It’s alright,” I assure gently. “You don’t have to explain yourself. But now we know the answer, right? One of the blackened could have faked their execution, and that’s the reason they were staying in the basement and needed to use that passage to come upstairs.”

“So they locked those spaces off so they could use them at night without being spotted,” Cassidy says. “The mastermind must have at least anticipated the idea that they would be removed from the game.”

“Why would they even want to risk joining the game, though?” Harold asks. “They could have actually died, correct? Nothing was stopping them from being targeted by another blackened.”

Hm...was there a reason the mastermind would need to be here with the rest of us? Maybe...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Cassidy’s Discoveries

>Footage Review

>Newspaper Clipping

_... >Cassidy’s Discoveries _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Cassidy, those files you found a while ago in the file room had student records amongst them, right? For our class?”

Cassidy flips through her notes. “...mm...yes, that’d be correct. Why?”

“I think that’s why the mastermind wanted to hide amongst us. If we had discovered, at any point, that they were meant to be a part of the class, they would have been immediately suspicious to us. They had to blend in as just another victim so we wouldn’t suspect them!”

“That’s a likely theory...” Patrick admits. “We would have tried to find out why a classmate of ours had avoided the killing game if it was true that they were discovered to be missing altogether.”

“So if it’s really down to just six people...which one do we choose?” Jess asks.

“We should talk about that now,” Cassidy says. “We’re reaching the climax of this discussion, after all.”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Our suspects are left as Francesa, Perseus, Rita, Tyler, Rick, and Nancy,” Patrick says. “Does any one of them stand out as more suspicious than the other?”

“Well...mm...the **double execution** with Rita and Tyler was strange...” Jess says.

“Francesa did **kick off this killing game** , in a sense,” Harold suggests. “Plus, she was the Ultimate Actress...”

“Nancy wasn’t fueled by a motive of any sort, she merely killed someone **on accident** ,” Cassidy says. “At least, as far as we know.”

“Could it be Perseus?” Patrick suggests.

“Of course not!” Harold responds quickly. “I would have noticed something was wrong with him if that were the case!”

“I understand you knew him, but it’s possible **something changed**...”

It’s hard to figure out if anyone was acting out of character since we don’t really know each other...but maybe that’s the point!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Emails Logs #1**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I call out.

“You do? Hm...I see...” Patrick frowns softly, a hand on his chin.

Harold frowns. “If you’re trying to accuse Perseus of--”

“No, it’s nothing like that,” I say quickly. “I’m just trying to say...I don’t think we can use the actions of the people in the game as proof of anything. In some of those email logs, it talks about trying to bring the subject back into society. One of the things they did to prepare this was to have them relearn their original personality.”

“So...this subject was forced to lose their personality?” Jess asks. “That’s absolutely horrible...”

“If they were faking their personality, then we don’t have a way to determine behavior based on that,” Cassidy says. “Even people like Perseus or Rita and Tyler could be likely suspects. We wouldn’t be able to tell.”

“So if we can’t use behavior as evidence...what then?” Jess asks. “We can’t just randomly pick one of them!”

“The lack of identification anywhere about the mastermind was clearly planned for this,” Harold says. “Even if we did narrow it down, we don’t have anything left to pick a person out.”

“We said that last time, didn’t we?” I ask. “When we couldn’t figure out who the subject was meant to be. But we moved past that. I know we can get past this, too!”

“Then do you have a suspect you’d like to suggest?” Patrick asks. “If you’re so confident on it, then you must have someone in mind.”

Do I have someone in mind? We’ve come down to the six people that were executed in this killing game. Francesa, a star actress who could make herself behave however she wants. Perseus, a creative artist that wanted to look after his younger brother. Rita and Tyler, childhood friends and a couple, each always at the other’s side. Rick, a quiet guy that could do the impossible. Nancy, a powerful boxer that never lets anything get in her way. One of them has to be the mastermind...and if I was going to choose anyone, it would be...

[SELECT A SUSPECT]

> Wayne Little

> Giffany

> Tyler Oak

> Rita O'Connor

> Cassidy Wellings

> Betty Fritz

> Perseus Peters

> Harold Peters

> Rick Dallas

> Jessica Winters

> Jeremiah Dawson

> Patrick Morris

> Sasha Davis

> Nancy Clark

> Joshua Price

> Francesca Grande

_... >Rick Dallas _

“It has to be you!” I call out, pointing an accusatory finger at Rick’s portrait.

“You think the mastermind is Rick?” Cassidy asks.

“Are you going to use his ridiculous talent as a reason?” Harold scoffs. “I accepted that answer last time, but I’d hardly believe it’s true now.”

“You can’t deny that his luck exists,” I shoot back. “It was the basis of the entire murder he committed. And I think that same luck can be applied to this entire killing game!”

“That’s a very heavy-handed statement to make!” Mononuki cuts in. “I mean, luck is such a fickle thing to talk about. How can you even prove a statement like that?”

“I’d like to know the same thing,” Patrick says. “If we’re going off of a basis like that, then we could blame Rick for just about anything. He already did that plenty to himself.”

I know I’m prepared for this. Rick is the only person I can think of that ties the loose ends together. I just have to show it to the rest of them!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I’m not disbelieving the idea,” Patrick explains. “But you’ll have to come up with something a bit **stronger than luck** to explain Rick’s involvement.”

“I can’t make my judgment based on something as **scientifically null as luck** ,” Harold agrees.

“I’m sure Wayne has another reason just **beside his luck** ,” Jess assures.

“ **Rick’s luck is completely unbelievable** ,” Cassidy says. “I’m sorry, but I just can’t agree with that notion.”

Of course, with the discussion of Rick comes the discussion of his luck. And I might just have a way to prove it to them why I think it matters...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Mononuki’s Recordings**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“How exactly is that statement wrong?” Cassidy asks. “What proof do you have?”

“It’s one of the things that have been on my mind for a while, actually. We never figured out how the mastermind was able to make recordings of Mononuki’s interactions with us with so much accuracy. But if we assume that it worked so well due to pure luck...”

“That’s your solution to that?” Patrick asks.

“Do you have a better one?” I retort. “I don’t see how else it’d be possible anyone could record interactions with that kind of accuracy.”

“...but it wasn’t perfect accuracy, was it?” Jess asks.

“Hm? What do you mean?” Harold asks.

“When Mononuki was revealing his third motive, I remember that he messed up and said Tyler’s name when talking to Rita. And it seemed like the entire conversation got derailed because of that. At least until...Rick stepped in to move the motive forward.”

“And Rick was one of the people that made the pancakes that poisoned us, wasn’t he?” Harold asks.

“Rick was also involved in the incident with the keys almost the entire time,” Patrick says. “Up to committing the murder that put them back in the mastermind’s possession.”

Cassidy flips through her notes. “...isn’t it true that we first met Rick in the storage closet in the gym, Wayne? You said that’s where the secret passageway was.”

“Has Rick...really been the one behind all of this?” Jess asks softly. “Pretending to be our friend, but doing everything he can to make this killing game move forward...was that all really him?!’

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Mononuki steps in yet again. “I can’t sit here and listen to you all slander one of my dear students...you’re putting a lot of faith into that luck of his, but how strong do you really think it is?”

“How...strong? Does luck _have_ strength to it?” I ask.

“It seems rather far fetched that Rick would be able to use his luck to the extent we’re saying,” Patrick admits.

“If it is real, he really didn’t seem to have a great control of it,” Jess says. “I remember one time, Nancy spilled some ice on the floor trying to make lemonade. Rick slipped on it coming into the room and spilled all of her lemonade on himself when he crashed into it.”

“Exactly!” Mononuki says. “Rick’s whole life was so ruled that luck, that even his day to day was completely random. How could he ever control it enough to make me so perfect?”

“He could have tried to keep your personality consistent at least,” Patrick drolls.

“If it really is Rick, there must be some reason he’s able to control his luck so well,” Jess muses.

“I can’t believe we’re really going down this path,” Harold says with a sigh. “But...I’m sure there’s some kind of connective thread here.”

A connective thread...maybe there is some way we can tie Rick back into all of this. There’s one truth we have to put together now that we’re all beginning to agree Rick might be the mastermind.

[HANGMAN’S GAMBIT]

_______

S__j__t

_Subject_

“I’ve pieced it together!” I declare. “We spent a lot of time before tying it all together, but it might just be the reason that makes it all make sense. Rick, the mastermind, the missing student, and the subject of the experiments...with everything we’ve gone over, they all have to be the same person!”

“That’s right, we did decide that this mysterious subject and missing person were one and the same and were likely the mastermind,” Cassidy muses. “Which means, logically, Rick would have to be all three of them to be the mastermind.”

“If Rick was the one experimented on, then what did they even do to him?” Jess asks. “Why would they ever want to do something so horrible to Rick..?”

Maybe they took an interest in Rick for a reason. It could be because...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Notice to the Headmaster, Patient Records

>Subject Notice, Cassidy’s Discoveries

>Email Logs #1, Email Logs #2

_... >Subject Notice, Cassidy’s Discoveries _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “A couple of things tie it together the most for me and make Rick so important to this. It would be the written report about this ‘subjects’ abilities and the notice from the school about their interest in luck. What if they targeted Rick on purpose for this experiment because of his luck, and he gained the ability to...control it, in a sense?”

“If that’s what the school after the entire time, then...you’re saying it worked?” Harold asks. “This luck nonsense...it’s a measurable force, and Rick was given some...impossibly high standard of it?”

“Woah, woah, woah!” Mononuki pipes up. “I can’t believe what I’m here. I’d think I walked into a sci-fi book club with all of this.”

“Will you stop getting in the way?!” Jess demands. “We all know you’re just the mastermind trying to stop us! But it’s not gonna work, cause we’re already figuring this out!”

“But how do you really know I’m Rick, huh?!” Mononuki demands. “Maybe I’m Francesa and her wonderful acting skills. Or Perseus, and this is like a massive avant-garde art piece. I could be Rita or Tyler with some maniacal vision of love. Or good ol’ Nancy, ready to betcha punks down! It’s all speculation and conjecture, meaningless words and nothing more!”

“You...You can’t be serious..!” Harold snaps. “You don’t get to sit here and throw in doubt now, after everything!”

“I’ll throw in anything I want! As your headmaster, I’m here to look out for all my students, and I just want to make sure you make the right choice.”

“The right choice is ignoring you,” Cassidy says with a sigh. “We should vote now, shouldn’t we?”

“The right choice ends with the killing game starting again! C’mon, c’mon, let’s just go back to killing!”

“This is madness,” Patrick growls. “Wayne, you’re good with this type of blathering, aren’t you? Shut him up!”

“I’ll have better motives, I’ll build you all knew floors, I’ll give you anything you want!” Mononuki shouts out. “Let’s kill! C’mon, already! Let’s just kill each other!”

We’re so close to the truth. I know we are. We’ve brought all the pieces together. All that remains...is making our final declaration!

[PANIC TALK ACTION]

_“C’mon, c’mon! Listen to your headmaster! It’s time to resume the killing game!”_

“I don’t know what your angle is, or what you’re trying to do.”

_“This is all such a bore, huh? Yaaaawn~”_

“But I won’t let you stop us when we’re so close!”

_“It could be anyone! You don’t know that it's Rick! You’re all going to make a big mistake, you know!”_

“I’ll reveal who you are, once and for all!”

**ck’s Re Motive al Murder Ri**

**Ri ck’s Re Motive al Murder**

**_Rick’s Real Murder Motive_ **

“THIS KILLING GAME ENDS HERE!” I shout out.

“ **_W-WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_ **” Mononuki cries out in surprise, tumbling off of his chair and onto the floor.

“It’s only now that we’ve put all the pieces together that I can finally understand Rick,” I say. “That notice I talked about before, about the subject? It mentioned that he could only use his ‘talent’ for a certain amount of time because it would be exhausting on his body. That was only during his checkups after the initial surgery, though. What if he’s gotten much better at it? Such as being able to control it for days, weeks on end. At least until he couldn’t...until the strain on him was finally too much and he couldn’t keep using it.”

“...then he’d have to stop,” Cassidy says. “He’d need to leave the limelight and recoup. And the easiest way to do that without suspicion would be...to lose the killing game without truly dying.”

“And he could do that by setting up a fake execution for himself beforehand,” Harold muses. “All he would need is to break a rule or commit a murder and he could be removed from our sight. We’d be none the wiser...”

“He could control Mononuki live and give his luck a break,” Jess ponders. “He’d have all the time in the world to recuperate while...we keep killing each other.”

“But we didn’t do that,” Patrick corrects. “We stood up for ourselves. And after overexerting himself for so long, he wouldn’t have his luck to rely on to save him from us. So he’d need to rush a way to quell us until he could fight back. Such as...a final trial.”

“That’s...That’s all um...well...it’s...” Mononuki slowly pulls himself back up to his feet, looking worried.

This is the moment of truth. Mononuki’s backed into a corner. He doesn’t have the upper hand anymore. All we need to do is lay down the final vote!

“It’s really you, isn’t it, Rick..?” Jess asks softly.

“There’s nowhere left to hide, Rick,” Cassidy announces. “It’s time to come out!”

“We’re done waiting, Rick. We played your game, now you’ll play ours,” Patrick says.

“Come out here and face us, Rick!” Harold demands.

“The mastermind...is none other than you! The Ultimate Luckster, Rick Dallas! Show yourself!” I cry out.

There’s a total, deafening silence in the trial room. I could hear my own heart thudding in my chest, the sound ringing in my ears. There was that single moment of hesitation; that worry that I was wrong, that I lead everyone astray, that the killing game was going to begin again. And then...everything went up in smoke. Literally.

Smoke filled the podiums around us, coming in so quickly we didn’t get a chance to properly find its source before our vision was obscured. Something moved; a shadowy figure amongst the thick fog that I could almost make out. Almost as quickly as it had come, the smoke was blown away in a gust of wind that cleared my vision to reveal the very thing I knew would be waiting for me.

Rick Dallas, the Ultimate Luckster, alive and in the flesh stood before us all at his podium. I recognized the chill that shot up my spine upon seeing his face. His hood was pulled up, obscuring his face in shadows, but I could clearly make out one of his eyes along with the blank expression on his face. The empty husk of a man standing before us...I would almost hesitate to say that the gaze coming from him was human.

“...hello, everyone,” Rick says in a dull monotone. “It’s nice to officially meet you once again.”


	48. Chapter 6: A Misty-Eyed Goodbye to All That Corrupts Me - Deadly Life Final Trial Part II

“I was...right?” I ask. I don’t know why I was so shocked by that. I knew I was right. All the pieces fit together too perfectly, everything pointed at Rick. And yet, actually seeing him standing there, alive...it was still a massive shock to me.

“Yeah, you were,” Rick says dryly. “I’m the mastermind of this killing game.”

“Rick, you...you...” Jess was at a loss for words, shock written all over her face.

“You...did this to us..?” Harold asks. “You’re the reason we had to go through this..?!”

“Well, if you want to put it that way, I suppose you can...” Rick crosses his arms over his chest, his head tilting to the side. “But...this wasn’t really a one-man operation either, I’m afraid.”

“That terrorist organization, correct?” Cassidy asks. “You’re all responsible for this.”

“Terrorist organization...that’s a harsh set of words...” A frown forms on Rick’s face and he suddenly looks more like...himself. “We’re just trying to help everyone. I’m...I’m really sorry if you don’t understand...”

“Help everyone? How is this meant to help anyone?!” Jess demands. “You've been torturing us for weeks, making our friends kill each other! Who is this supposed to help?!” Tears brimmed in the corners of her eyes, but the angry scowl on her face was fierce.

“Well, um...hm...” Rick’s brows furrow. “That’ll take some explaining, you know...it’s a long story.”

“We’re listening,” Patrick says. “But you’re on a clock. We’re leaving as soon as you’re done.”

“...oh,” Rick’s expression falls again, that cold, empty glare entering his eyes. “You think you’re still leaving..? That’s a shame...but I guess we can get to that later.”

“O...Of course we’re leaving!” I demand. “That was the deal!”

“We’ll see about that...but for now, I may as well fill you all in as best I can. Oh...but this is still a trial, isn’t it? It wouldn’t be fair if I just handed you all the answers, either. Maybe you guys can fill in the gaps, too.”

“You’re insisting on keeping this circus going?” Patrick spits. “Ridiculous...”

“Well, think of it like...insurance. You’ll know what I’m saying is the truth if you come to the conclusions yourself, right..? So, hm, where to begin...I guess we can start from...the surgery.”

Everyone looked incredibly uncomfortable, except for Rick himself, who had that blank slate of a face right now. We just have to hold out a little while longer, I know it. Then we can all leave!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“So, the surgery was offered to me by the Headmaster himself...” Rick explains. “He told me that it would be the best way to truly hone my talent. At the time, I listened to him. I wanted to be useful for once, and I thought this was the best way to go about it.”

“So...So he **manipulated you**...” Jess says softly. “Rick, I’m so sorry...”

“...they took me to a space lower in the school that had been set up beforehand for such experiments,” Rick continues after a moment. “The surgery they had prepared was done for a week straight. It took them a while to do everything they needed to. And when I woke up...”

“Your **personality was altered** , but your **luck was strengthed** ,” Patrick says. “We know all of this already.”

“...then you finish the story. What happened next?”

“Hmph. After you were done with your surgery and prepared for reintegration, you had to be released back to all of us. Then you **formed your little group.** ”

We’ve already put together what happened to Rick during his time with the school. But there is something we don’t know the details to just yet..!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Notice to the Headmaster**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I cry out.

“It’s the most obvious conclusion to make,” Patrick says.

“Hm...I guess you all don’t care much about me after all...” Rick says blandly. “Making me skip over my story like that...”

“You’re not exactly in a place to be garnering our sympathy,” Cassidy chides. “Whatever you went through doesn’t excuse what you’ve forced us all to go through.”

“You don’t use that logic on yourself very often, though, do you?” Rick retorts, sounding more like himself again. “I mean...just because you had to go through something so awful and traumatic doesn’t mean you get to shun everyone away in a shroud of mystery and doubt, right? How many conflicts do you think could have been resolved if you just stepped forward sooner to help everyone out..?”

“Gh...th-that’s...” Cassidy scowls, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “I don’t...have to answer to you.”

“Hey, leave her alone!” I demand. “You owe us answers, remember? Tell us more about New World Order, Rick!”

“...fine.” Rick returns to his blank gaze and monotone voice. “After my surgery and the control of my luck, I was released back into the world. I had learned how to replicate my old personality so no one would suspect anything. I made up a cover of forgetting what happened to me--too traumatized to recall, is what I ended up going with. Maybe with the creative storytelling of Jeremiah or Giffany, I could have come up with a better cover but...oh well. It worked all the same.”

“Great to the point,” Patrick hisses.

“...you really are a sociopath, just like everyone says, huh?” Rick asks, sounding like himself again. “I went through something horrible you know. Do you really not care...that I had to suffer? Patrick, I...” Rick’s eyes well up with tears. “I thought maybe...you’d be able to understand, even a little, what it’s like to feel so alone and trapped, unable to put the pieces of your personality together. So you learn how to fake it for everyone else...just so you can be accepted...just to be normal...”

“Y...You...” Patrick grits his teeth, his hands curling into fists. “I’m not...I-I...”

“Oh well.” Rick’s voice was monotone again. “I guess it can’t be helped. Let’s move on to talking about New World Order, then. There’s something else the school instilled into me, in their time of keeping me captive. This phrase should be familiar to you: The few for the many.”

“That...is a phrase used by the school staff,” Cassidy says. “It was all over their emails.”

“The TYCP is an organization built on the hope of the world,” Rick explains. “That would be all of us. The talented members of that program are a hope that promises a brighter tomorrow for everyone. The few give hope to the many...but that sentiment had to change, I’m afraid. And that reason is what led us to the formation of New World Order.”

“You’re not going to tell us what changed, are you?” Harold asks.

“Wh-What, is that a problem?!” Rick asks in a sudden panic. “I’m sorry, I thought...I explained it before. It’s better for you guys to put the pieces of the story together...I-I mean, isn’t that what you’d want to do, Harold? As a child genius, it shouldn’t come to a problem for you...oh, but, I guess without your well of emotional support, that brain of yours isn’t good for much. Who would want to talk to a genius that can’t even behave as maturely as he claims to be? Perseus would be so disappointed in that...”

“Y-You...You don’t get to say his name!” Harold demands. “Never say his name again, Rick!”

“Leave Harold alone!” Jess demands quickly. “Patrick and Cassidy, too! I know what you’re doing to them! I won’t stand for it!”

“Oh...I-I guess you would know, huh, Jess? I’m sorry...it’s just...where was all this spunk beforehand? So many people are dead now, Jess, and...you only have the ability to stand up for your friends when it’s no longer dangerous? I remember when you gave up on me, on Perseus, on Nancy, even Francesa...when are you going to start sticking up for the people that really need it, hm? It’s so cowardly, to only stick your neck out when you won’t be in any real danger of it...”

“W-Wait, that’s...I-I didn’t...” Jess says weakly.

There’s a silent gloom in the air now, wearing down the already dreary atmosphere of the trial. What the hell was Rick trying to do to the others..? I open my mouth to retort, but...

“No more interruptions,” Rick says in a monotone. “I asked you all before. Why is it that the motto’s meaning had to change? It ties in directly with the creation of New World Order, after all.”

The motto...the few for the many. It’s meaning shifted in the heart of the TYCP, and that’s what led to them using it to justify what they did to Rick. But something caused that shift to happen. It’d have to be...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Newspaper Clipping

>Cassidy’s Discoveries

>Article Online

_... >Article Online _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “We found a half-loaded article on the secretary’s computer. It...detailed a slump in the world. Constant exposure of the TYCP members was causing the world to become more cynical and apathetic. The scrutiny was starting to leak into everyday life...”

“It wasn’t quite that bad when we formed New World Order,” Rick admits, “but that is generally the reason we came to fruition. We saw the corruption deeply seeded within the program and the way it seemed to be leaking into the world as a whole. And we decided...why must it be this way? Why does this corruption have to keep existing and infecting everything around it? So, we formed with the intention to rid the world of this corruption.”

“How...bad is it now?” Harold asks. “The world, I mean. What's been going on out there since...we were locked up?”

“Oh, mm...that article Wayne and co. read was fairly outdated. If you want to have an idea of the world...well, people have been labeling the event as ‘The Great Depressive Slump’. I think it’s a fairly apt title.”

“What does that mean..?” Patrick asks. “That article mentioned that over half the population had grown apathetic and lost hope in the future. How much worse has it gotten..?!”

“I think we’re getting off track.” Rick tilts his head to the side again. “We can talk about the condition of the world...soon. I think we were talking about New World Order...mm...right. I reached out to a few students--ones that you wouldn’t know, I’m afraid--that I felt would share my sentimentalities. I found that they did, so we came together with the plan to find a way to rid the world of this corruption.”

“And your plan culminated to this?” Cassidy asks. “This killing game was your ultimate plan?”

“Mm...in a sense,” Rick admits. “This is our proto-killing game. It’s a test run, in a sense. We all came together for the idea, but I took most of the work on this one. I designed Mononuki to hide my identity, I created motives I could use to weed you out, I designed the trial room and its functionalities. I never really planned on this ending but...I was happy you all suggested it.”

“What do you mean happy?!” I demand. “We’re putting an end to this madness, Rick! You’ve lost!”

“...hm...” Rick tilts his head to the other side. “We’ll get to that later, won’t we..? I’m sure you have more questions right now. Jess, for instance, is going to ask me why I picked you all for this game.”

“...h-how did you know that?” Jess asks, surprised.

“I didn’t. It was just a lucky guess,” Rick says. “Just like everything in this game. My recordings, knowing who would kill and who would die, preparing a fake execution...it was all just a lucky guess. That’s the power I was given, Ultimate Luck...but you all didn’t want me to tell that part of the story, so I glossed over it.”

“Why don’t you tell us why we’re here, then, if you already know that’s what we want to hear,” Harold says. “What made our class so special..?”

“...I wonder...can you all figure that out?” Rick asks. “Why did I pick you all over anyone else for the proto-killing game?”

He’s...really making us do this, then. But what reason is there for choosing us..?

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I don’t recall **seeing any express reasons** we were chosen,” Harold admits.

“Then maybe it’s something we can piece together,” Cassidy suggests. “If he’s leaving it up to us, **there must be a reason** we were picked specifically.”

“He should just tell us...” Patrick grumbles. “This nonsense has gone on for too long.”

“Maybe...Maybe it was just **at random?** ” Jess asks. “Rick just got lucky and picked his own classmates...and...that’s the reason we’re all here...”

At random..? While I admit, Rick definitely used his luck for a lot of this, I don’t think he’d have a reason like that for picking us...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Notice to the Headmaster**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“I-It is..?” Jess asks. “But...I thought that was how Rick did everything...”

“Maybe that’s how he ran this game, but I don’t think it’s the basis for picking us. Remember that notice that the headmaster received from New World Order? They wanted to propose a test to him. We thought that the test had to be testing us but...what if that’s not true? This proto-killing game...it’s a test of their system! A test to see if the killing game will accomplish what they want!”

“But how does that involve us..?” Patrick asks. “What makes us so special to be used as testing subjects?”

“Rick knows us better than any other student, right? As his classmates...we’d be the perfect group for him to run the test of the killing game on! He’d be able to know us well enough to get the best results out of his game!”

“That’s a fine enough explanation of things,” Rick agrees. “See? I knew this would work for the best. You all seem to be doing a good job putting it all together. That’s why I think this next part will be a piece of cake.”

“I have questions I want to ask you first,” Cassidy says.

“Later,” Rick says, shooting her down. “I want you guys to tie the last strings of the killing game together. After all, isn’t there another big mystery you should all cover, right?

The big mystery he’s referring to...it has to be...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Newspaper Clipping

>Memory Loss

>Mononuki’s Recordings

_... >Memory Loss _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Our memory loss...we still haven’t cleared that up, have we?”

“You found out about it, but yes, you still haven’t cleared it all up. Well over a year’s worth, in fact...I wonder where all that time has gone...”

“Well over...a year...” Jess echos. “I...I feel like I’m going to be sick...”

“That’s pretty insensitive, y’know...” Rick murmurs, sounding like himself once more. “Cassidy’s forgotten almost four years of her life by now...I think you guys can handle just a fourth of that, don’t you..?”

Cassidy frowns thinly, but she doesn’t say anything for a moment. “...fine, let’s get through this so we can start getting our own questions answered. The forced removal of the same memories in every person is far too accurate to be from most conventional causes. Can we assume your luck isn’t to blame for this, Rick..?”

“...mm, sure, I’ll throw you that bone. My luck isn’t why your memories are missing,” Rick says dryly.

How we lost our memories of school...this didn’t happen by any accident. We know we were chosen on purpose. So what happened..?

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“If this **isn’t based on luck** , then I suppose that means this was something tactful,” Patrick ponders.

“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all of this luck nonsense,” Harold admits. “It just seems so impossible...and yet...”

“I admit, it’s really strange to think about,” Jess agrees with a nervous smile. “Maybe we should have let Rick talk about it more before..?”

“That’s not important,” Cassidy says. “For now, we need to be thinking about the memory loss.”

“Right...it’s not luck-based, so maybe it was a **surgery of some kind,** ” Harold says. “The space was prepared for it, clearly.”

Surgery, huh..? But even then, I don’t know if that’s right. There is something I think would work better!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Canisters**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I shout out.

“What..? Then what’s your explanation?” Harold asks.

“Those canisters from the science lab space downstairs seems like a good candidate for the reason we lost our memories. I don’t really know what was in them, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was part of the reason.”

“If you don’t know what was in them, how can you claim that they’re the cause?” Rick asks me. “I won’t accept such weak answers, Wayne. Am I clear here?”

“...regrettably, he’s right,” Patrick admits. “What basis do you have to think those canisters are responsible?”

“It’s the phrase written on them,” I explain. _Litura_. It means...”

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Delete

>Erasure

>Light

_... >Erasure _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Erasure. _Litrua_ is the Latin word for erasure, and it was written on those canisters.”

“Then those canisters...are filled with something that causes memory erasure?!” Jess demands. “And...that was used on us...oh god...”

“It’s like...labrats...” Harold says. “It’s like we’re just a bunch of labrats..!”

“It’s awful, isn’t it?” Rick asks. “To be reduced to something less than human. A mere experiment, an object to be manipulated and mistreated by those with more power than you. It’s torture, isn’t it..?”

“Shut...Shut up...” Harold demands weakly.

“As for that memory erasure solution...yes, you’d be right. It’s a gas I specially made that can repress a person’s memories to a rough estimation depending on the dosage. Those canisters they’re stored in are specially made--you input a time frame, open the canister, and give it to a person. It takes some time to work, and they have to take in all of the allotted gas for it to work. It’s incredibly precise.”

“...you made this concoction with luck alone, didn’t you?” Patrick asks bitterly.

“Mm. They let me have a run in their lab to see what I could create with my luck. I found out--just about anything I want, so long as it’s possible. So when it came time for the killing game...well...”

“This had to have a lot of planning,” Cassidy ponders. “A lot of construction, for instance...and you had to gain full control of this school in the first place. How did you manage all that..?”

“We have a lot of resources thanks to members of our group,” Rick explains. “And we convinced the headmaster to...relinquish his control of the school for the time being. It’s under the guise of being under remodeling, I think. Not the permanent stay I threatened you all with but enough time to get through the killing game all the same.”

“And...all of us?” Jess asks. “We all went missing, right? People have to be looking for us! R...Right..?”

“...hm. We made up a convincing story for that one. We told everyone you were in a specialized hospital, complimentary of the TYCP, due to an accident our class was in. We even took a picture of it in a convincing place.”

A...convincing place? What...is he talking about? I get the feeling he’s going to make us work to find that answer. Maybe he’s talking about...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>The nurse’s station

>A classroom

>The patient ward

_... >The patient ward _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “You took a picture of all of us in the patient’s ward, didn’t you? It would be the perfect place to fake a story of that nature.”

“Our friends and family would demand to visit, though,” Patrick says. “There’s no way a plan like that would work, even with Rick’s luck.”

“My dad wouldn’t just leave me like that and never visit..!” Jess demands. “I-I know he wouldn’t!”

“I...I know my family would want to visit,” I say, “but it has to be the answer. It’s the only thing that makes sense!”

“I feel another discussion coming along,” Rick says gently. “I wonder what you’ll use to prove it...”

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“My family would come to visit me, I know that,” Patrick says. “It just wouldn’t make sense.”

“My father would never accept any excuse for my disappearance!” Jess adds. “I know him too well!”

“But where else could the school store us?” Harold asks. “It can’t be **anywhere else in the school**...”

“Those rooms were **totally picked clean!** ” Jess demands. “There wasn’t even any proof anyone was there!”

Picked clean..? No, I don’t think so. In fact, there was something left behind that proves it!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Hearing Aids**

“No, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“Eek!” Jess squeaks. “That doesn’t get any easier to deal with...”

“When investigating the patient ward, I found a pair of hearing aids in one of the nightstands. I remember Sasha mentioning a while ago that she had woken up without hers. I think whoever moved us left her hearing aids there by mistake!”

“But...But that doesn’t make any sense!” Jess demands. “Why wouldn’t our family come visit us if they thought we were in the hospital?!”

“Because they think you’re braindead,” Rick answers. “We needed to make sure the gas was administered without interruption, so we had to think of something. We went with...comas. We promised your families that we were working around the clock to improve your conditions and bring you back, so of course, we couldn’t allow any kind of visitations. We’ve been paying them money as a...safety net. Ensure that everything is okay, and that we’ll do everything we can to bring their darling children home.”

“Then...no one knows...” I say softly. “Betty, Joshua, Rita, Nancy...everyone...no one knows that they’re dead, do they?”

“I’m afraid not. They would, eventually, once the game ended. But we can’t have anyone interfering.”

There’s a solemness to the air. Every one of our family members and friends must be worried sick about us and trying to find a way to see us. They don’t know the horrors we’ve been through or the fact that...so many of us are truly gone...

“How did we administer that gas, though?” Rick asks after a few moments of silence. “It had to be done to ensure no interruptions and that you would inhale all of it. And we used it to convince everyone of your unfortunate condition.”

He’s still treating this like a game. People are dead and their loved ones don’t even know...and he’s giving us more questions to answer. It’s sick...

[MAKE A SELECTION]

>Life Support

>Canister

>Memory Loss

_... >Life Support _

“It has to be that!” I declare. “Those life support machines...that’s not all they do, is it? That’s how you administered the memory erasure gas to us all!”

“And it would look like we were all in comas...” Jess says softly. “And no one would have...any reason to disbelieve it...”

“Aren’t there only fifteen of those?” Patrick asks. “There were sixteen of us...who didn’t get put under?”

“...” Cassidy frowns, quiet. “You wouldn’t have to waste the gas on me...would you?”

“No,” Rick agrees, “but we did anyway, just to be safe. No, the one that didn’t go under...was me. As far as the world is concerned, I, Rick Dallas, the Ultimate Luckster...am dead.”

“You told everyone you were dead? Why would you do that?!” Harold demands.

“Well, maybe you can all--”

“No!” I shout, cutting Rick off. “We’re not going to answer any more of your questions! We’re done with your damn trial! You’re going to tell us everything, do you understand?! No more games!”

“...interesting. The person playing the game the most is now the one that’s telling me to end it.” Rick’s head tilts to the side again. “Wayne...you know you’re the reason so many are dead, don’t you? Every trial, you’d step up and tell everyone who the killer was...and they’d be executed. And then the next person would fall, and the next killer would be executed. So on, so on, until we’re here. Five left. A slow, agonizing journey to rid yourself of half the group, all lead by you with each and every objection and vote. And yet, you stand here, facing against me with so much tenacity, as if blood isn’t soaking your hands.”

“W...What..?” I was taken back by that. “That’s...not...I-I did it for the rest of us. So we didn’t die. We didn’t have a choice because of your game! This isn’t my fault!”

Rick closes his eyes, frowning. “It’s sad, really. The way you’ll all reject your responsibilities. Shrug them off, like you’ve done no wrong, committed no crimes...I’d cry if the hollowness in my body could feel.”

“What are you blabbering about?” Harold asks. “You keep going on these mindless tangents when you’re not fishing for answers to questions you already know the answer to. Just tell us what’s going on here!”

“We’ve played your game long enough. We’re here to end it, not entertain it anymore,” Cassidy says. “We won’t answer any more of your questions. Just explain things to us.”

“...fine,” Rick relents. “I see it’s pointless anyway. What do you want to know?”

“What’s happening in the outside world..?” Jess asks meekly. “How...How bad is it..?”

“How bad is it, hm..? I’d say...pretty awful. It’s not flames and wars like anyone would expect the end times to be. There are no battle cries from a desperate few battling to survive and live on. It’s a dying whimper from a sick animal knowing its days are numbered. Do you understand why our methods are so drastic? We’re running out of time and options, and we need results.”

“The...world is...ending..?” I ask weakly. How can that be possible? All because of corruption in the TYCP? “I...I can’t possibly believe an answer like that..!”

“The world wouldn’t just give up over this...would it?” Harold asks. “How is that real?!”

Rick lets out a soft sigh. “This is what I was worried about. You aren’t coming to the conclusions yourself, so you don’t want to believe the answers I give you. But it’s the truth. Unemployment is skyrocketing as people lose the desire to work, suicide rates are at an all-time high as people finally give up on what seems like a pointless life, no one is motivated or confident enough to make a move to help anyone. The TYCP is doing everything it can to repair this broken, dying world...but with the way it stands, no one trusts a thing they say. Every spark of hope they try to ignite is drowned in despair from a collective distrust.”

“That’s not possible..!” Patrick demands. “How...How can you say that it’s the truth..?!”

“...none of you understand the power this type of corruption has,” Cassidy says softly. “Think about what the TYCP is, to everyone. We’re...a beacon of hope; a promise of a better, brighter future. For as long as most of us can remember, that’s what this program has worked to establish. That’s what everyone truly believes in. So...when that promise is shown to be a lie, and that beacon turns into a bad omen...what is the world supposed to do? When everything they believed in is filled to the core with rot...what...what answer is possibly left..?”

“Cassidy...” I can’t believe this is happening. The world as a whole...giving up like that? Falling into a slump of apathy and despair, all because of this program? Because...we couldn’t live up to their expectations of us?

“It’s another reason we had to remove your memories,” Rick explains. “Not just to ensure the best scenario, where you all turn on each other, but to make sure you couldn’t remember the condition of the world at large. After all, this has been a long time coming, and you could say that we hit our boiling point. If you all remembered what it was like out there, you might not have wanted to return. Or you would have refused the conditions of the game. We needed participation. We had to have you do it...so we had to remove anything that would interfere.”

“Why..?” Jess asks weakly, tears streaming down her face. “Why...after everything going on outside...did we have to die? What could our deaths possibly do...to make anything better..?”

“We didn’t do anything wrong...” Harold says softly. “We’re...just kids. This isn’t our fault...”

“So you still don’t understand?” Rick asks. “After everything we’ve gone over, you don’t understand why this had to happen? I thought you were all smarter than that, to get through so many trials...”

The truth of the situation weighed heavily in our hearts. So many of our friends are dead...and we’re being told that it _had_ to happen? That this was the only way..? Why...Why would this ever have to happen..?

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“ **We didn’t have to die**...” Cassidy says softly. “I refuse to believe that any of us ever had to die...”

“ **There had to be another way** ,” Jess whimpers. “Some way...to fix things without all of this...”

“ **It could have been anyone else...** ” Patrick grumbles. “Anyone...Anyone but us...”

“ **This was pure madness** ,” Harold says. “Nothing...Nothing but madness!”

“ **But we have a goal in mind** ,” Rick assures. “One goal that makes every death worth it. The few for the many, after all.”

I can’t agree with any of it. None of these deaths had to happen. No one had to suffer like this! But...But there had to be a reason for it, as twisted as it must be...

**LOAD Truth Bullet: Cassidy’s Discoveries**

“I AGREE WITH THAT!” I call out.

“Oh, good, someone here is still paying attention,” Rick says.

“Wayne, what...are you doing?” Jess asks weakly. “Why..?”

“It’s...their motives,” I say. “We’ve known their motives for so long now. It was that note Cassidy found in the file room, the one that had to be written by New World Order. It...said they wanted to find the ones to build their new world, and weed out everyone else. That’s...the motive behind this entire killing game. They’re using it to find the best of the bunch, and killing off anyone else...”

“That’s sickening,” Patrick growls. “What kind of absolute monsters..?”

“Desperate ones,” Rick says. “And monsters is harsh, don’t you think..? We’re doing what must be done for the world at large. We’re removing the corruption from the TYCP, one member at a time. Every weak person, who was foolish enough to be murdered, or corrupt enough to give in, has no place in our new world. Their deaths only bring us closer to our goal.”

“You...You really are a monster...” I say weakly. “Whatever the school did to you, it...it doesn’t excuse this! Listen to yourself, Rick! Ten people are dead and...and you’re just saying that they deserve it! What about Sasha and Jeremiah? Are you saying they deserved it?!”

“...Sasha was an unfortunate sacrifice. I was drained from using my luck so consistently for so long. I needed to rest, and I needed to do it in a way that wouldn’t be suspicious. Besides, she had those keys, and I needed them back. So...she had to die. It was unavoidable. Jeremiah was an unfortunate consequence of that, but his death allowed us to remove Nancy from the equation. She was too brash and thoughtless. She didn’t deserve to live.”

“What...happened to you..?” I ask softly. “We saw who you were in the game...even if you were faking it, that was who you were at some point! Why...did you have to change like this..?” I ask.

“I told you all before. The needs of the few are outweighed by the needs of the many. My personality, my emotions, my being...it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I always knew that...or at least, that’s how I felt. Depression is a horrible thing and it tells you horrible things, and everything the headmaster and the TYCP said to me constantly reaffirmed how little I mattered, and my sacrifice would be for the good of all. So I gave in to it and let them push everything out of the way to make my luck as strong as possible. It was an unforeseen consequence, but it was a necessity in the end.”

Rick’s eyes well up suddenly. “B-Besides, I, um...I thought it was the right thing to do. To...To do what I can to help everyone. I spent my entire life feeling like...like a _mistake!_ Like a freak that couldn’t do anything besides ruin the lives of people around me. So...So when they promised I could do so much good...I-I just went with it...no matter the consequence...”

“But...But it didn’t have to end like this...” Jess says weakly. “None of these deaths had to happen...just because of them. I’m so sorry you were manipulated like that Rick, but...I just can’t forgive you for what you’ve done here! It’s absolutely unforgivable!”

“Why are we still talking about this?” Patrick asks. “We have all of the answers we want. Your killing game is over, Rick, and we want to leave.”

“...oh, right, that.” Rick was back to his expressionless monotone. “Well, this is still a trial, so we can’t leave without an official vote...so that’s where the special voting rules for the final trial come into play.”

“Special...rules?” I ask. “What kind of rules..?”

“It’s simple,” Rick explains. “You’ll have two options. You can leave the school, free of charge, and return to the whimpering death of the world outside. Or, you can stay here, and we can play the killing game to its natural conclusion, whether that’s more death or a dying whimper like the one outside of these very walls. The vote must be unanimous for leaving, however. If even one of you votes to stay here, then you will. Since I’m technically no longer a participant, I won’t vote.”

“What kind of choice is that?” Harold demands. “Of course we’ll vote to leave this school!”

“Leaving is what we’ve been after since the start,” Cassidy says coolly. “What other choice would we possibly make?”

“Well, if you want my honest opinion...staying here would be the right choice. None of you are fit to leave this school. In fact, none of you are free of corruption. It would be best in the interest of everyone that you remain here and die,” Rick says, his cold glare boring itself deeper into us. “Not a single one of you deserves to leave this place.”

“What...What are you talking about?!” I demand. “How can you keep saying things like that?! None of us deserve to die here! We’re leaving, Rick!”

“If you leave, you’ll simply perpetuate the corruption and rot of the TYCP and poison in the world in the process. Each one of you is another corroded cog in the machine. After all, just look at what even one of the purest of you is like.” Rick’s cold gaze turns to Jess.

“M-Me..?” Jess asks softly. Under Rick’s glare, her body began to shake. “But...But I’ve done all I can for everyone! In this game, and in my life, all I do is work for the best of everyone!”

“Is that what you call it?” Rick asks. “Losing yourself in your work and your chores so you can ignore the cruel reality around you? Is that really you trying your best? If that’s the case, then it’s absolutely pathetic. You failed to save a single person in this place, Jess. Every time you tried to get closer to someone, they were pushed farther and farther toward a quick demise. Maybe you should understand that the problem is you. You’re weak and you’re worthless. You can’t help your friends, you can’t help your family, and you can’t even help yourself.”

Jess’s body was shaking even worse than before, a steady stream of tears rolling down her cheeks. She put a hand over her mouth, trying to choke back muffled sobs. I could almost feel the heavy, oppressive air surrounding her now.

“J-Jess..?” Harold asks softly. He looks at Rick with a flare in his eyes. “What did you do to her, you bastard?!”

“I told her the truth,” Rick says blandly. “...oh, but I guess you would defend her. You need her, after all. You’re a leech like that, aren’t you, Harold? Always grappling onto the thing that gives you the most emotional support because you can’t muster up enough of your own. It was Perry before you replaced him with Jess. You like to boast about how smart and mature you are, but you’re just a pathetic child through and through. You need someone to suck the life out of to maintain your own bloated ego so that you can feel better than everyone around you. And once you’ve sucked that person dry, you move onto the next. Without Jess, without Perry, without a host to drain, you’re nothing on your own. Just a mere parasite that’ll curl up and die like it’s supposed to.”

“N...Nnn...” It was like Harold was trying to refute that, but his jaws were clamped shut and refused to let a sound past, his hands balled up into fists at his side. That same oppressive air was surrounding him that had come over Jess.

“But at least someone around here understands that need,” Rick goes on. “After all, Patrick, you wouldn’t know emotional support if it punched you in the gut. You spend so much time trying to figure people out that you merely push them away before you can ever get close to it. Have you ever wondered why that is? I mean, it shouldn’t be such a mystery to you, being such a cold-hearted bastard. Empathy and sympathy are foreign concepts to you to such an extent that you can’t even comprehend when your actions have consequences on the people around you. Selfish, cruel, and heartless...that’s all you’ll ever amount to.”

Patrick was silent, his teeth grinding slowly as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was struggling not to show the scowl on his face, but the oppressiveness surrounding him was all too clear.

“And Cassidy, where do we even begin with you?” Rick lets out a sigh and shakes his head. “The girl who understands better than everyone the harm corruption can cause is practically drowning in it herself. You sent so much time refusing to believe and trust in anyone, that you simply shoved them all away from you and constructed a bubble of mystery. One that caused tensions to rise and fights to break out, over and over. Do you really think that was for the good of everyone? Or was it for the good of yourself? After all, who else could you ever trust? But...then again, you don’t trust yourself that much, either. When all of your thoughts and memories are recorded down into notes, you have to trust what they say, but you can’t bring yourself to do that, can you? It must be so lonely, turning the entire world again you like that. I think they call it a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

Cassidy kept her head low, her grip tight on her notepad. But she wasn’t looking at it at the moment. Her lips were thin and her hands trembled. She’d been overcome with the same oppressive air.

“G...Guys..?” I ask in shock. I didn’t receive an answer from anyone. I could feel the anxiety coiling in my chest. “H-Hey, snap out of it, everyone!”

“Oh, Wayne...” Rick says softly. “There you go again, trying your best to drag everyone behind you. When are you going to realize that all you do is drag them right into the grave alongside you? I mean, really, we went over this, didn’t we? Every trial, you brought down the killing blow to each and every killer. And once they were dead, we did it all over again from the top. You honestly don’t want to take any blame for those deaths? All you did was prolong the suffering of those destined to die in the first place. That’s not mercy or friendship or hope, whatever word you want to use. That’s torture. From the very first case, all you’ve done is torture the people you dare to call friends, as each one of them is ripped down brick by brick until they crumble. And you do it all in the name of a good cause. It’s absolutely disgusting to see how blind you truly are to it all.”

I could feel it surrounding me. The oppressive air that was bearing down on the others was coming for me now. It was suffocating, smothering me in a thick blanket of a cold, dark feeling that leaked into my very being. I could almost taste the bitterness on my lips. It...It was like the world around me was crumbling under my feet and trying to swallow me up into an endless void.

“What...is this..?” I choke out. I grip my chest tightly, but it was just burrowing deeper. This horrible despair was filling my core from the bottom up.

“This is what I was afraid of,” Rick says. “You’re all so susceptible to it: the corruption, the despair. The destiny of failure you’ll all bring if you step outside the confines of this school is undeniable, and I can’t allow something like that to happen. I can’t let this killing game end here, so long as you all still exist. You’ll just rot the world to its core and push us past the brink.”

“You’re...doing this...” I wheeze weakly. “Y-You...”

“I’m just showing you what lives inside of you all. Those rotten cores you store within you are on full display, creating an undeniable reality. It’s thanks to the power of my Ultimate Luck that I can drag it out. You all didn’t let me explain before...but my luck makes the impossible possible and thanks to the TYCP, I have that power dancing at the tips of my fingers. I can do anything I want within the realm of reality. I can correctly guess what might happen in the future, I can say just the right things to drag out the disgusting inner cores of the corrupt, I can do anything I dream of with this power. That’s why I dub it Ultimate Luck. There is no form better than mine, none that is more capable of anything. And yet...”

For a moment, I swear I could see a flicker of sorrow cross Rick’s face--real, genuine sorrow. He looks back to me. “...this corruption doesn’t just wash away, Wayne. I can’t remove it with my luck. I can’t will you all to simply stop being corrupt. It’s truly impossible to remove it like that. That’s why it has to be this way. We’ll exterminate it all, one by one, and anyone who remains will bring us towards a shining hope in the future. That’s why I have to do this. So long as the rot inside of you all remains, I can’t let you leave this place. So let’s vote to keep the killing game going, everyone. We’ll play until nothing remains. You all know that we can’t let it end any other way.”

This...This is insanity! Luck, corruption, despair...he’s just full of bullshit! I can’t...I can’t...let him win. After everything we’ve suffered through, every death we’ve been forced to witness, I can’t give up now. I...I...

My body refused to listen to me. My feet were rooted to the ground and my arms at my side. I couldn’t even force my mouth to open. What if...What if he’s right..? What if we really don’t deserve to leave? What if we’re just not good enough? What if our continued existence is what tears the rest of the world down? Can we live with that..? Do the five of us really deserve to live more than everyone else? My family, my friends, can I let them give in to this horrible despair just so I don’t have to die..?

I look up at the others. They were all the same, stuck at their places, the despair bearing down on them with ferocity. They all must be thinking the same thing I am. I...I can’t...do it. I couldn’t save them. I brought them all here to this hell. The only reason we’re suffering like this right now...is because of me. I was the one that took charge and started this trial. Rick is right. All I’ve done from the start is prolong the suffering every single one of us had to face. We all should have just died from the beginning...

I could feel hot tears washing down my face. I wish...we were all dead right now. It would be so much better than this hell.


	49. Chapter 6: A Misty-Eyed Goodbye to All That Corrupts Me - Deadly Life Final Trial Part III

A deafening silence filled the room as the five of us sank further into our despair. It churned and swirled in the air around us all, doing everything it can to snuff out any fight we had with its suffocating presence.

“...that’s what I thought,” Rick drolls on. His monotone voice was like a knife to the thick air. “You all see the truth of our situation now, don’t you? Let’s get on with the vote and return to the killing game. It’s the only correct answer. It’s the only thing you deserve.”

Maybe...he’s right. Maybe this is all we deserve. Maybe...it really would be better for us all to die. No more suffering, no more corruption, no more disappointment. If we all die here and now...it would...really be for the best...

...I’m sorry...everyone. I...let you down. I wasn’t strong enough in the end. The outside world we all fought so hard for was a lie. Every truth I sought was driven into our hearts like a stake. Every death that we witnessed only brought us closer to a horrible end...and in the end, I led all of us to it. It’s...all...my...fault...

If the others were here right now...what would they say to us..?

“Well, it wouldn’t be any of that depressing stuff!” another voice cuts through the air.

...what?

My vision focuses back in on the trial around me. And I saw...everyone. _Everyone_. Everyone that died filled their podiums in place of their portraits, looking right at me. They looked so...real. Was...Was this it? Did I finally go crazy..?

“You didn’t go crazy,” Jeremiah says. “I mean, sure, this might all be in your head...but consider us the answer to your call for help.”

My call...for help..? What help could I possibly deserve now. I’m...the reason they’re all dead in the first place. Why...Why does my mind have to keep torturing me like this?!

“Yo, Wayne, we can like tooootally hear your thoughts and stuff, and I am not cool with any of that junk!” Betty says with a sparkling smile. “I mean, you’re like, the super coolest guy I’ve ever met in my life! You were totally down to be my friend, no questions asked, and I super needed that, you know! Well, duh, of course you know, cause I’m saying it right now, but you get what I mean! If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I ever woulda been able to drag myself out of the slump I was in!”

But you still died...I couldn't do anything to save you. I should have done more to distract from those videos, then maybe Francesa wouldn’t have...

“Oh, _moi_?” Francesa says with a smirk and a hand on her hip. “That wasn’t your fault, Wally. Rick made those videos. He lied to us, knowing what would hurt us most, to push us to killing. I made my mistake, but you had nothing to do with it. I wouldn’t even tell Jess about it...I didn’t want to tell anyone.”

If I had worked harder with everyone to find out what they had that made them so vulnerable, maybe we could have worked through it. I could have done so much more than tell everyone it was going to be okay...

“You know, that’s just not how I fly,” Joshua says with a bored expression. “I made my strategy the second I woke up, you all know that. I built that wall ‘cause I was afraid, and there was no tearing it down. You did everything you could for us, but you’re not the one that kept playing dirty to win, and I would know.”

But you all had so much to live for. People you loved, things that mattered to you, and I didn’t even think twice about it during those trials. Every guilty verdict was all because of me. Every execution happened because I let it...

“Noble knight, please, don’t say such falsehoods!” Perry demands with a downtrodden look. “We all had something to fight for and some reason to leave. Those of us that chose to kill...we had our reasons, but our selfishness did not outweigh your right to live!”

I let my friends down. I disappointed the people counting on me most. How can I sit here and tell myself that I can save everyone when I never saved the people who needed me at the worst?

“Wayne, please...” Giffany sniffles, clasping her hands together. “I know...that we only had a couple days together as real friends, b-but I couldn’t have been happier then. I know things seemed sad, but...but you were one of the best things to happen to me in this place! I’ll always believe in you!”

So many innocent people had to die for us to get here. How can we just sit here and demand we deserve to live over everyone else that died? What right do we have to declare our escape after so many others died for their own?

“Hey, you better be listening to me!” Rita barks, pointing a finger right at me. “We all deserved to live, we all know that! Even if there’s only five of you left, you all came together to put an end to it! I can’t believe you’re just going to give up when you’re all so close!”

“We might be gone...but you guys still have your chance to live,” Tyler says with a meek smile. “If you can all get out of here alive, then...then we’ll have won! All of us! Because...well, because we’d have shown to Rick that he was wrong!”

Rick has been one step ahead of us the entire time because of his luck. Every moment of retaliation was so quickly snuffed out. Why would this be any different? He’s just going to leave us here to die no matter what we do...

‘ _We both know that isn’t true!_ ’ Sasha wrote down, holding up her sketchpad with a stern glare. ‘ _Rick can be stopped, and you guys are the ones that are gonna do it! You all need to work together and finally put a stop to all of this!_ ”

Even...Even if we do get out of here, what good will it do? With the world in shambles, it’s no use. We’ll just make it worse, and even if we don’t, we could never make it better on our own...

“You really are so ridiculous,” Jeremiah scoffs, arms crossed. “Look at what you all did the moment you came together and worked as a group. You made it far like this. Write the ending of your story as best you can, and make the ending a good one!”

I can’t do it...I can’t do it...I can’t do it...I can’t do it...I can’t do it...

“Like hell ya can’t!” Nancy roars with intensity. “Ya took charge of the whole game and shoved it right back into Rick’s stupid face! If anyone here is gonna do it, it’s gonna be you! I told ya t’ end this game, and ya better believe I’m gonna hold ya t’ it! Make it all end here, Wayne! No one else can do it!”

“...I...I...” Everyone...is this...what you’d really think? Is that what you would all tell me, if you were really here? Can I...believe in this hope..?

“We wouldn’t be saying it if you didn’t think so,” Giffany says with a smile. “After all...we’re your friends. You know that, Wayne.”

“I might not have been able to win this game, but I’ll never forgive you if you all lose here,” Joshua demands. “The only thing worse than losing is giving up, and I won’t allow you to do either!”

“We’ve always been here for you, dude!” Betty cheers. “So c’mon, kick this guy’s butt! Show off all those super awesome fencing poses you’d do during training! I wanna see you show Rick who’s boss around here!”

“This is your one chance!” Nancy bellows. “Hit ‘im where it hurts, and make sure it counts! Don’t ever let this chance get away from ya! Ya only got this one shot!”

I close my eyes, taking several steady, deep breaths. I could feel the tears slowing. The heavy weight trying to suffocate me was lifting like a curtain, and everything suddenly felt clear again. I open my eyes. They were gone...only portraits filled the podiums around me and my friends. They were dead...but even so...I won’t let their sacrifice or their memories be in vain!

“That’s enough waiting around,” Rick says. “Vote already. You all know this is the only acceptable end. Vote to continue the killing game, and we’ll be sure to rid the world of its corruption.”

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“...what?” Once again, there was a flash of genuine emotion across Rick’s face. Pure shock. But then he was back to expressionlessness. “You know I’m not wrong, Wayne. Why are you still fighting it?”

“The only reason you see corruption is because you drag it out yourself. But there’s more to us than the negatives! We’re so much more than our worst qualities! I can see that myself! I’ve seen it from the very beginning of this killing game! The only thing corrupting us is you, Rick, and I won’t let it stand for a second longer!”

“What qualities can you possibly have that make you think you can be called worthy? All I see before me is a brash, thoughtless leader that drags everyone around him down with his meaningless platitudes. You bring upon suffering to those around you because of your so-called righteous morality.”

“...I almost listened to you, too. Do you know what I am? I’m a person willing to do all it takes to protect the people closest to me. I’ll fight for our lives and for our hope to the bitter end. I won’t rest until all of us escape this game and leave you behind, Rick! I’ll show you what happens when you believe in the good in people instead of dragging out the bad!”

Rick’s face twists into an ugly snarl, his hands curling tightly. “It doesn’t matter what you think. I’m here now to end the corruption ripping through you all. This killing game will wipe it out, I’ll make sure of it. And your friends..? They know I’m right, too.”

The others were still silent, the oppressive air surrounding them still ever-present. Rick still has them wrapped around his finger. I can’t let that continue. I have to show them the truth! I have to prove to them the worth Rick is trying to scrub away!

**Truth Bullet Obtained: We’re Worthy**

_Everyone has good in them. As long as they don’t forget that, then it’ll never be erased!_

“You won’t get away from this that easily,” Rick snarls. “This killing game will wipe out all corruption! I’ll see to it that none of you get to leave here alive with corruption in your hearts!”

“You can call us corrupt all you want, but I know that we’re good people!” I declare. “I’ll prove it to all of you that we’re just as worthy as anyone else!”

Rick’s cold gaze turns from me to Patrick. His body jerks up like a puppet on strings, Patrick’s harsh gaze fixated on me.

“...can’t you...shut up already, Wayne..?” Patrick says weakly. “I don’t want to hear your bullshit anymore...”

I know this isn’t what Patrick really thinks. Rick is manipulating all of us, just like he always has. I won’t let it go on any longer!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“Rick...is right...” Patrick says with a scowl. “I really am just a bastard...”

“I’m cruel just for the sake of it. I piss people off because I want to find out how they react.”

“I poke and prod until someone explodes, and then I just move onto the next person and do it again.”

“Over and over...all I do is push people away from me...and then I make up excuses so that I don’t have to live with that guilt.”

“ **I don’t deserve to live.** I never did.”

That’s not what I see when I look at Patrick. It’s time to tell him the truth!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: We’re Worthy**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“Wayne, enough...” Patrick says, defeated.

“No, I won’t give up on you, Patrick!” I shoot back. “I know for a fact that there’s a good person under that cold exterior! The Patrick I know befriended Giffany when she needed one. He made me cosplay just because he wanted to share his passion. He was there for his friends every time they needed him. He made an effort with people, even when he didn’t want to. He said what was on his mind when he was worried about others, always willing to get others to think about them, too. The Patrick I know shows that he cares in his own way, and it’s never less than anyone else’s way! That’s who you are, Patrick Morris!”

“I...” Patrick’s gaze softens and the heavy air around him seems to lift. “...I’ve...always cared. I just...I didn’t know...how to say it. I never acted to hurt anyone...I never...wanted to hurt anybody...”

“I know you didn’t, Patrick.” I flash a smile. “That’s why you’re going to live with the rest of us. Because we’re all friends, and I won’t ever let you forget that!”

“Friends...” A soft smile crosses Patrick’s face. “Well, I’ll make sure to hold you up to that once we get out of here, Wayne.”

Rick’s fists get tighter, his shoulders shaking. “That’s not true, Patrick. You know that’s not true! You’re--”

“ _I’m_ done listening to you,” Patrick says. “I know who I am, and it’s not the person you want to paint me as. Why don’t you try looking in a mirror for once, Rick?”

“W...What..?” Rick’s brows furrow. “What...happened? Why can’t I...?” He trails off, his eyes shifting to Jess.

Jess’s body jerks up, tears shining in her eyes. “I...I can’t do it...” she whimpers. “I’m not strong enough...I...I was never...strong enough...”

Jess...I know that’s not true. Rick might try to make you forget, but I won’t let it happen!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I’m weak...” Jess says in a whisper. “I’m too weak to survive this...”

“I couldn’t say them. Francesa, Perry, Giffany, Nancy...I-I kept failing, over and over...”

“I couldn’t save my father. Even...Even myself. I couldn’t save anyone...and now I’ve brought Harold into this horrible mess, too...”

“ **I don’t deserve to live**. I’m too weak...I’m too worthless...”

The last thing I’d ever call Jess is weak. I know she’s so much more than that, and I’m going to show it to her!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: We’re Worthy**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I yell out.

“B-But...But I am...” Jess says softly. “I-I...”

“That’s one word I’d never use to describe you, Jess,” I refute. “You’ve been so incredibly strong every step of the way. The Jess I know is one of the strongest girls I’ve ever met! She stood by Francesa as her friend, even in her final moments. She took on Perry’s last wish to take care of Harold. She supported Giffany, even when it all seemed hopeless. She stood and fought for her friends to the very end, refusing to doubt them in every trial. She told me all about the things she does for her family and all of the kids she cares for with a smile on her face. The Jess I know was always there for everyone, every step of the way, and didn’t let anything keep her down. That’s who you are, Jessica Watanebe!”

“I...I-I...” Jess’s shaking slowly stops, the heavy air lifting around her. “All I wanted...all I’ve ever wanted...was to help the people around me. I never wanted anyone to hurt...the way I’ve hurt. I...I work hard, for everyone I know, because I want the best for them all! And I won’t stop until I’ve done it!”

“And I wouldn’t want it any other way.” I grin wide. “You’re amazing, Jess, don’t ever forget that!”

“I...I won’t. Not anymore! I’m strong, I know that now! You can rely on me, Wayne! Just like always!” She flexes one of her arms with a silly grin.

“Pathetic!” Rick hisses. “You’re pathetic, Jess. How can someone so weak--”

“I’m not weak!” Jess yells. “Never call me that again! I won’t accept your lies anymore! Never again!”

“N-No...” Rick’s fists uncurl, his fingers twitching. “What...What are you doing to them..? I-I can’t...reach it...anymore...” His eyes flicker over to Harold.

Harold’s body jerks up, his glasses catching the light and making it impossible to see his eyes. “...I’m...a fraud. I’m not just a little kid...I’m a complete brat. I don’t deserve friends or family...I should just die alone...”

I know that’s not how Harold really feels. I know that’s not what he deserves, and I’ll make sure he knows, too!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“I’m just a parasite on everyone around me...” Harold says weakly. “That’s all I’ve ever amounted to...”

“My parents, my grandfather, Perseus, Jessica...all I ever did was bleed them dry.”

“I needed someone to feel superior to and reaffirm it to me, over and over. I’d talk down to them, brush them aside, show off my intelligence...”

“ **I don’t deserve to live.** I don’t deserve friends or family. I should just die here, alone, and be forgotten.”

Harold, how could you ever say something like that? We both know that’s not what you are!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: We’re Worthy**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I cry out.

“You...You, too, Wayne...all I’m doing is draining you of your kindness...”

“A leech is the last thing you are, Harold,” I demand. “The Harold I know is a loyal, caring person that always has the people closest to him on his mind! He fought tooth and nail to keep his brother alive. He reached out to make friends at a time of vulnerability. He let others help him, even when he thought he didn’t need it. He always thought about the safety of Jess, even if it meant walking into danger with her and putting his own comfort aside. The Harold I know has always put the people he cares for front and center in his mind and never lets them down. That’s who you are, Harold Peters!”

“...Perry...” Tears start to trickle down Harold’s face from behind his glasses. “I loved him so much. He...was my older brother. He always had a smile on his face...he was always thinking about me. I just...wanted to return the favor. I wanted to show him that I could be there for him, too...that he could rely on me...”

“And I know that he thought that, even in the end,” I assured. “That’s why he entrusted all of us to watch after you. It wasn’t for your safety, Harold. It was because there’s no one more loyal than you, and he knew you’d always be there for us if we showed you that we care!”

Harold sniffles and quickly dries his eyes, readjusting his glasses. And then he smiles brightly. “Of course I’d be there for you all. What else are friends for? There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for all of you.”

“You...You all...” Rick’s eyes flicker around wildly. “What are you doing..?! Why can’t I see it anymore?!” His eyes stop when they land on Cassidy and a wicked grin curls onto his face.

Cassidy’s body jerked up, her eyes shooting out a glare as cold as ice right at me. “Your ignorance is astounding, Wayne. I thought after all this time, you’d be the one to understand the truth. But I can see that my trust was misplaced once again...”

Cassidy...you know that this isn’t the truth. I’ll show you the real truth that you’re being denied!

[NON-STOP DEBATE]

“This corruption has soaked itself into each and every one of us,” Cassidy sneers.

“Even I couldn't avoid it...I simply became a part of the problem I tried so desperately to end.”

“I let you all down. I betrayed everyone’s trust. There’s no denying that reality.”

“ **I don’t deserve to live**. I’m rotten to my core, and that truth can’t be evaded!”

I know that’s not the truth. I know Cassidy too well to ever accept that truth!

**LOAD Truth Bullet: We’re Worthy**

“NO, THAT’S WRONG!” I call out.

“No, _you’re_ wrong, Wayne!” Cassidy snaps. “Don’t run from this truth!”

“There’s no truth here to run from!” I counter. “I know you, Cassidy! This isn’t you! The Cassidy I know fights for the truth and for righteousness with everything she's got! She gathered information to corner the mastermind. She helped me in every trial to ensure our survival. She learned to trust me and call me my friend. She does everything she can for the safety of everyone! The Cassidy I know is intelligent, deductive, and trustworthy! There’s no one I’d sooner put my life in the hands of than her! That’s who you are, Cassidy Wellings!”

Cassidy’s eyes widen, her hand going to her chest. She blinks, tears slowly welling up. “Wayne, I...I don’t know...what to say.” Her hand tightens into a fist. “I trust you...more than I’ve ever trusted someone before. You’re easy to talk to, kind, endearing, hardworking...I’ve never met someone like you, Wayne.”

“I want you to know that I feel the same way about you,” I assure. “You don’t have to hide it from us anymore, Cass. You’re my best friend, and that’s because you let me be. I never once regretted that choice.”

A smile crosses Cassidy’s face, bigger and more genuine than one I’ve ever seen on her. “I don’t regret it either, Wayne. I never have.”

“Stop it!” Rick screams, tugging on the strings of his hoodie. “Stop it, stop it, stop it! What are you doing to them, Wayne?! Why...Why can’t I drag out their corruption?! How deeply did you bury it?!”

“I didn’t bury anything, Rick!” I respond. “I brought out the good in them all! You can drag us through the mud all you want and think whatever horrible things, but I know the truth! Every one of us are good people that deserve to live as much as anyone else! That’s a fact you can never change, no matter how much you try to deny it!”

“De...ny it..?” Rick asks weakly. “I...deny it...I deny everything you’ve said! Your corruption runs so deep that you mask it at your lowest instead of embrace and admit it! That’s what this is! I see it now, how far you’re all willing to go!”

“Give it a rest,” Cassidy says. “You can’t see anything because nothing is there. I won’t let the worst parts of my life define who I am any longer.”

“I’m not the weak, pathetic girl you think I am!” Jess declares. “You can’t manipulate me anymore, Rick! I’ll never allow it!”

“I’ll do everything I can to protect my friends,” Harold says. “No matter what, with them at my side, I’ll ensure we all leave this place together!”

“Don’t ever try to tell me what I feel again,” Patrick demands. “I know myself better than anyone else, and I know how much I care about the people here.”

“I’ll fight you to the end, Rick!” I yell out. “This killing game ends here, and you can’t do a thing about it! You’ve lost!”

“I’ve...lost..?” Rick asks blandly. “But...But I...m-my luck...how...how did you..?”

“I didn’t need to rely on luck. You said it yourself, didn’t you? Your luck can only do things within the realm of reality. And this is reality! Our desire to live, _our right_ , is reality, Rick! No amount of luck can ever change that!”

“N...No...that...can’t be true...” Rick says weakly. “I...I have to be right. This corruption...i-it can only be removed through complete extermination. You all...have to die...for the better of the world! This final trial was going to show you all the truth of this world! Of your corruption! Of your fate! I won’t let you escape that truth! The needs of the few are outweighed by the needs of the many! All of you will die in this killing game! I WON’T LET IT END UNTIL ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN SCRUBBED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!”

Rick radiated that suffocating aura. His Ultimate Luck was used on us, to try and snuff out our will to live. I won’t let him get the upper hand again. I’ll put an end to him, once and for all!

[PANIC TALK ACTION]

_“You’re all corrupt, right down to your very cores! You can’t hide it from me any longer!”_

“Your killing game is over, Rick! This won’t go on!”

_“I won’t let it end! This killing game won’t end until I’ve killed you all!”_

“No more killing, no more suffering, no more corruption! It all ends here!”

_“The few for the many! You all have to die for the betterment of the world!”_

“We’ll vote and we’ll leave, and you can’t do a damn thing about it, Rick! I told you already! _You lost!_ ”

Everyone faces their stands, preparing their final vote.

**On Will We Live**

**We Will On Live**

**_We Will Live On_ **

“THIS KILLING GAME ENDS HERE!” All five of us cry out as we cast our final votes.

[VOTE FOR YOUR FATE]

>End the killing game

>Continue the killing game

_... >End the killing game _

“ ** _YYYYAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!_ **” Rick let out one last deafening scream as it all came crashing down around him.

**[BREAK!]**

“...the killing game...is over,” I say. “I’ll say it a thousand times if I have to!”

“No...no...no no no no no...” Rick’s body was trembling, one of his hands over his face, letting us only see one of his frantic eyes. “This...isn’t possible. The corruption...I was able to drag it out of you all. But...But now...”

“It’s gone,” Cassidy says. “I told you before. I simply won’t allow my fault to define me anymore. You have nothing left in us to prey on.”

“As long as we stand together, it’ll stay that way, too,” Harold says. “So why don’t you put an end to this stupidity?”

“Ggg...ghhhhkkk...” Rick let out a strangled sound, his eye frantically jumping from one of us to the next. “I know it’s here...where is it...where is it?! I know there’s still corruption here! Show it to me! Show me! Show--” Rick freezes suddenly, his voice cutting out.

His eye slowly looks down at himself. The edges of a grin peek out from behind his hand. “...h...hah...haha...hahahahahaHAHAHAHAHA! AAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA! Found it! I-I found it! It...It was in me...all along. How could I be so blind?! I’m...nothing more than a testament to the corruption flooding the TYCP. My very existence is nothing more than living proof how deeply it runs! I’ve been infected with this rot since the very beginning! Exterminate...I-I have to exterminate it!”

“R-Rick, please, stop it!” Jess demands. “You don’t have to talk like that anymore! Please...Please, just let us help you! The killing game is over, you can stop!”

“Help me..? You all...honestly don’t understand. I never once expected you to understand. I won’t let you get in my way again..! I know I’m right! This corruption...you can’t just wish it away! It’ll always be there, festering inside of you! It’ll come gushing out when you least expect it and you’ll drown in it! _You’ll drown_ ! Then you’ll all know I was right! You’ll crawl back to me begging to be killed because you’ll know I was _right!_ ”

“I’ve heard enough of this,” Patrick says. “There’s no helping him, Jessica. Rick’s been gone for a long time...whatever this thing is, it’s not him, and we don’t need to bother with it anymore.”

“Fine...Fine, if you’re all going to disregard me like that...then you can leave. Those were the rules I promised.” Rick’s hand slips away from his face, which looked completely blank once again. “But...there’s one more loose end that needs to be tied up. The punishment.”

“What punishment..?” I ask. “You can’t do anything to us! We beat your game!”

“It’s not for you. Rule 9. If the blackened is discovered, they alone will be punished. You all correctly ruled me as the blackened after I murdered Sasha, but I have yet to be punished for it.”

“You’re...going to execute yourself?” Cassidy asks. “Why would you do that..?!”

“To prove a point. You haven’t changed my mind. None of you have. But if you’re no longer corrupt...then that leaves me. And I will be taken out of this world the way I want to.”

“You don’t have to do that!” I demand. “It doesn’t have to end this way!”

“Shut up!” Rick snaps. “Just shut up already, Wayne! This game will end on my terms! I will be executed and the corruption rotting inside of me will be erased! That’s final!”

Rick walks over to the chair in the room, pushing Mononuki out of the seat he’d been sitting in limply to take his place. The button raises in front of him.

“I’ll rid the world of this corruption, one person at a time...and none of you get to change that...” Rick places his hand on top of the button. “I’ve prepared a special execution for me, Rick Dallas, the mastermind and user of Ultimate Luck. It’s punishment time...” He presses down on the button.

The floor under him opens up and Rick, the chair, and Mononuki all drop down inside of it and out of sight. Screens fill the room at all sides, playing a final execution for us.

**Rick Dallas, the mastermind, has been found guilty!**

**Commending the punishment...**

Rick lands on the ground, unharmed, still seated in his chair. The room was empty and dark. It was just Rick, alone, with his blank expression. Until something drops down into his lap, averting his face to it. It was a revolver, loaded with six bullets. Without a word, Rick grabs it and lifts it up to his head.

**Russian Roulette: Full Barrel, Empty Heart**

_Click!_

Without a second thought, Rick pulled the trigger of the gun, but nothing happened. It was just a dud. But as soon as the sound rang out, the room lit up with a blaze. Fire was erupting around Rick, causing the room to glow a bright orange. Sweat started trickling down his face, but his expression didn’t change.

_Click!_

Another shot. Another dud. The walls began to ooze colors of all kinds, a thick paint starting to pool at the floor and slowly engulf the room, closing in on Rick as he sat in the center of it all. The fire was quick to begin igniting it, lighting the room up in a dazzling display of colors around Rick. He was starting to grind his teeth.

_Click!_

It was once again a dud. Leaves and vines begin to fall from the ceiling above, only causing the fires around Rick to grow in strength. His face was slick with sweat as they begin to surround him entirely, leaving nowhere for him to go. His free hand balls into his fist, his body starting to shake.

_Click!_

Failure. Knives begin to fall from the ceiling, striking the space around Rick repeatedly as they start to form a circle around him. A circle the fire wouldn’t dare to cross. A scowl crosses Rick’s face, his hand shaking so badly that he was barely able to hold the gun to his head.

_Click!_

It wasn’t fair. Why, when he wants it the most, can’t he die?! His Ultimate Luck...was meant to do what he wanted...and yet...and yet..! A boxing glove springs up from the ground in front of Rick, smacking the gun out of his hand and sending it flying up into the sky. Rick gets up quickly, trying to snatch it out of the air, but his fingers just barely miss it and it falls to the ground.

The gun disappears into the blazing, colorful fires surrounding him. He stands there, his arm outreached, a blank look on his face. The fires rage around him, unable to reach him, and it seems like...he couldn’t even do the one thing he wanted...

. _.._ ** _BANG!_ **

The gun fires with a loud sound, forced to go off thanks to the roaring fire. The bullet tears through Rick’s chest, sending him falling back into the chair behind him. Blood quickly begins to stain his hoodie from the wound as it gushes out of him with incredible speed. A faint smile crosses Rick’s face, blood trickling out of his mouth, as his eyes dim and his body goes limp for the final time.

**RICK DALLAS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EXECUTED!**

The five of us watched in complete silence as the execution came to a close. Rick was dead...he was really, finally dead. Even after everything he did to us, that knowledge weighed heavily in my chest.

“Was...there nothing we could have done for him..?” Jess asks softly.

“I think he was too far gone for a long time...” Harold admits.

The school...this program...what they did to Rick was horrible. They turned him into that. “I’m sorry we couldn’t do more...” I murmur.

“We did what we could,” Patrick assures. “...we can talk about it more once we get out of here, though, okay?”

“Right...” Jess sniffles and nods. “We don’t need to be sad right now. We should be happy! We did it! We put an end to the killing game!”

“It’s all thanks to Wayne,” Cassidy points out. “If he hadn’t reached out to us, we likely wouldn’t be celebrating right now.”

“Hey, c’mon guys, I wasn’t just going to leave you hanging like that.” I smile, rubbing the back of my head. “Honestly...I almost didn’t make it through that, either...”

“But you did. And then you pulled the rest of us out of it, too,” Patrick points out.

“I know! I say we all go celebrate at my place when we get the chance!” Jess says. “I’ll bake us some cookies and make some lemonade!”

“Honestly, Jessica, you can’t be expected to do that alone,” Harold chides. “I’ll help. In fact, I think I could make the perfect cookies with the right dimensions applied to the dough.”

“Oh, then I’m really excited now! We aren’t getting any younger, then, come on!” Jess hurries over to the elevator, Harold following behind her.

“You really did save us back there,” Patrick says to me. “I won’t easily forget that.” He follows after the other two to the elevator.

Cassidy walks over to me. I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn’t get a chance to get it out before she pulled me into a hug.

“Ah--Cass?” Is she feeling alright? I never really took her as the type to hug.

She pulls away, a soft smile on her face. “Thought I’d just try to thank you the way you would have done for me. You seemed like the hugging type.”

I smile in return and start walking back to the elevator with her. “You don’t have to emulate everything I do, you know. I like you how you are.”

“I know you do, Wayne.”

Cassidy and I enter the elevator where the others were waiting. We take it back up to the first floor. We go back to our rooms to collect some of our things and meet up in the entrance hall.

The front door was unlocked entirely, left open just a crack that let sunlight trickle into the room in a sliver. I almost forgot how long it's been since we last got to see sunlight.

“It’s so strange, thinking that it’s finally over,” Jess admits.

“What do you think it’ll be like for us once we step outside?” Patrick asks. “Rick left us a rather bleak picture of the world. New World Order is still out there somewhere. I can’t imagine that they’ll let this go so easily.”

“Whatever it is, as long as I face it with the rest of you, I know we can handle it,” Harold says.

“Then let’s go out there and face it,” Cassidy says. “Together.”

This was really it. The killing game was over. Me and my friends...we’re survivors. Even at our absolute lowest, we pulled ourselves back out and climbed for the end. I was confident we could do anything together. I know they felt the same.

I’m so happy we lived.

I step forward and open the door, the bright light of the outside world almost blinding. And together, we breach that barrier and walk out as one.

**Chapter 6: A Misty-Eyed Goodbye to All That Corrupts Me - END!**

**Surviving Students: 5/16**


	50. Epilogue

In a place much farther away, a group of people watches over the now empty Sterling Heights Academy. Wayne and his friends had left the building and the proto-killing game had reached its conclusion.

“Holy shit, he’s like...actually dead,” one of them says.

“That was so cool!” Another one squeaks. “Hey, hey, are we gonna get to do that, too? I have all kinds of ideas already!”

“Rick died. The game was a failure,” a third states.

“Now, now,” a fourth person says with a sly grin. “Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean it was a failure. Didn’t you hear him? He couldn’t see the corruption in them that he spotted before.”

“But they’re still alive,” the third reminds.

“And? I don’t think that matters right now. If anything, I think the killing game was a spectacular success! With a tweak or two to the formula, I think we’ll be well underway!”

“...tweak..?” a fifth person asks gruffly.

“Well, it wasn’t perfect, but whose first time is? I think we should get the next one rolling as soon as possible. That detention center is opening soon, isn’t it?”

“That’s correct,” a sixth says. “In about a month, I think.”

“Perfect! It should almost be ready for our own devices as well.”

“What about Rick, though?” the second asks. “How are we gonna do this without his Ultimate Luck..?”

“I told you before, we don’t need that,” the fourth chides. “We have skill. That’s more than enough. Rick relied on his luck too much. That’s why he’s dead now.”

“And money,” the first adds. “Lots and lots of money.”

“Well, if you’re all in agreement, then that can be the end of our discussion!” the fourth says. “We have a new killing game to prepare for, after all! I’m so excited to get it underway...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Awaiting Despair is finally finished, and now it's just the waiting game for the next issue. For now, I'm thankful for everyone who read this story. I spent a long while preparing and writing this, and I'm really happy to finally have it be finished. I plan to have this entire series finished...eventually!


End file.
